Staff Reporter :
The proposed budget for FY 2022-23, if finally adopted and realized, will increase the use of cigarettes and other tobacco products among the poor and the youth, experts said.
Speakers said this in a post-budget press conference recently, jointly organized by PROGGA (Knowledge for Progress) and Anti-Tobacco Media Alliance (ATMA) held at the Nasrul Hamid Auditorium of the Dhaka Reporters Unity. The event was supported by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids (CTFK).
Speakers said that the proposed budget raises the price for low-tier cigarettes by only 2.56 percent. 75 percent of all cigarette smokers are users of low-tier cigarettes, most of who belong to the poor and the youth demographic categories. The medium, high, and premium tiers have seen a 3.17 percent, 8.82 percent, and 5.18 percent increase respectively.
Citing the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), speakers say that 2022 (provisional) has seen a 10 percent increase in the National Per Capita Income (nominal) over the previous year. Compared to the increase in per capita income, the hike in cigarette price will only make cigarettes more affordable and particularly encourage the youth to light up.
Speakers said that the average price of soyabean oil has increased 45.18 percent in 2022 (June 8) compared to 2021 (June 8). There has also been a significant increase in the prices of atta (44.63 percent), eggs (34.03 percent), lentil (25.43 percent), powdered milk (18.19 percent), broiler chicken (16.63 percent), and miniket rice (12.5 percent).
However, the price of low-tier cigarettes, which constitute 75 percent of the cigarette market, has seen a meagre 2.56 percent rise, and the prices of jarda, gul, and bidi have been kept unchanged.
In his speech as the chief guest of the event, eminent economist and convener of the National Anti-Tobacco Platform, Dr Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad said, “In the highly-used low-tier cigarettes, the price has been increased by only 10 paisa per stick. The prices of jarda, gul and bidi have not been increased at all. This will do nothing to reduce tobacco use.” Dr. Mahfuz Kabir, Research Director of Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS), said, “The price of tobacco products should be hiked by imposing specific supplementary duty.”
Prof Dr Rumana Haq, Department of Economics of University of Dhaka, Md Ataur Rahman, Senior Policy Advisor of CTFK Bangladesh, Md Abdus Salam Grants Manager, CTFK Bangladesh, Mortuza Haider Liton, convener of ATMA, ABM Zubair, Executive Director, PROGGA, and also leaders and representatives from different media and anti-tobacco organizations.
Nadira Kiron, Co-convener of ATMA were present. Md. Hasan Shahriar, Head of Tobacco Control, PROGGA, presented the budget analysis and demands.
