Doctors express solidarity towards demand for increasing tobacco tax

As part of tobacco tax campaign program, Dhaka Ahsania Mission organized an event,” Doctors Solidarity towards demand for increasing tobacco tax” in front of Comilla Town Hall, Comilla on 28 May 2017. Beside doctors, media people and representatives from different NGOs also participated in the event and expressed their solidarity towards demand for increasing tobacco tax through raising their hands. During the event, they also held different festoons and placards containing demand for tobacco tax. For increasing tobacco tax, the participants placed some specific demands including cutting-off cigarette’s price slabs based tax system and increase excise tax as a share of retail price to about 70% of the retail price on average, cutting-off tariff value of Bidi and increase excise tax about 50% of the retail price on average,  Increase the specific excise tax about 50% in gul, jarda ( smokeless tobacco), Increase health development surcharge from 1% to 2% and formulization of an effective tax policy immediately instead of existing tobacco tax structure.Among others, Dr. Mojibur Rahman, Civil Surgeon of Comilla, Mr. Mahbubul Karim, Deputy Director, Family Planning, Comilla, Mr. Golam Rasul Project Manager of Urban Primary Health Care of Services Delivery project of DAM and Kazi Ikram Hossain, Project Manager of Smiling Sun Project were  present in the program.