The government is going to impose one percent ‘Health Development Surcharge” on all imported and domestically produced tobacco products in the budget of 2014-15 fiscal.
The finance minister said the tax incidence of the premium and high slabs will be the same or 76 percent, and for the medium slab is 75 percent and finally, for the lowest slab is 58 percent, in the next fiscal.
The present prices of 25 sticks non-filter and 20 sticks filter bidis are Tk5.354 and Tk6.052 respectively. Because of being less expensive and easily available, a large number of people smoke these products and get sick.
With a view to discouraging smoking, the finance minister proposed fixation of price of 25 sticks non-filter bidis at Tk6.14 and 20 sticks filter bidis at Tk6.94.
He also proposed to raise the existing supplementary duty rate on jarda and gul products from 30 percent to 60 percent.
