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...
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