ISLAMABAD: While appreciating the decision of the government to increase Federal Excise Duty (FED) on cigarettes, President Mehnatkash Labour Federation Ibrar Ullah alleged that the cigarette industry was trying to get tax imposed on farmers instead of the industry.

He was speaking at a news conference at the National Press Club on Monday. General Secretary Farmer Board Abdul Samad Safi, Chairman Tobacco Growers Association Liaqat Yousufzai and others were also present at the occasion.

“The multinational companies have been providing wrong data to the government due to which ultimately local farmers will suffer. Moreover it is an effort to pressurise the government,” Mr Ibrar said in a statement.

“We will never allow to transfer the FED from cigarettes to tobacco leaf. Any such attempt will completely destroy the local industry,” he said.

They said that it was the right decision to impose FED on cigarettes but multinational companies have started blackmailing the government by saying that they cannot continue business and will have to sack employees.

They warned that they will stop selling the tobacco leafs to the multinational companies if they continued doing efforts to impose tax on tobacco leaves.

Published in Dawn, April 4th, 2023