Sri Lanka, Aug. 7 -- By Sri Lal Somaweera

The recent COPF discussions

sparked debate on a push to raise Sri Lanka's tax on cigarettes to be 75% of

the price of the cigarette. This has resurfaced policy discussions, echoing a

longstanding recommendation from the World Health Organization's (WHO). Their

aim is clear: discourage smoking, improve public health, and boost government revenue.

But is this a practical target - especially in Sri Lanka's current economic and

enforcement landscape?

At 67%, Sri Lanka already ranks among

the highest in Asia in terms of tobacco tax incidence. Moving to 75% would make

it a regional outlier - surpassed only by Thailand. But as experiences across

the region (and even globally) show, this metric...