LAHORE: The Excise Taxation and Narcotics Control Department on Friday started licensing tobacco vendors under the Punjab Tobacco Control Act 1958.

The department started formal registration of the vendors selling tobacco and its products across Punjab.

ET Director General (DG) Muhammad Ali launched the move to register tobacco venders.

Excise Additional DG Ahmed Saeed, Director Rizwan Sherwani, Federal Ministry of Health District Coordi-nator for Tobacco Control Shehzad Iqbal, Cathy Wright and Khurram Hashmi from the non-government anti-tobacco organisation, The Union, were present on the occasion.

Mr Ali said the tobacco licence fee was being increased for the first time after 1958, according to which the smallest hawker or vendor would be charged Rs1,000, the bigger traders Rs5,000 or Rs 8,000 and the biggest one would be charged Rs15,000. He said the licence fee would increase at the rate of 15pc every year.

“The violator can be fined up to Rs100,000 while a media awareness campaign regarding the licence will also be launched,” he said.

DG Ali said the national and international agenda regarding tobacco control efforts would be fully ensured.

“Murree will be made a tobacco-free city in collaboration with the federal government and non-government organisations,” he said.

Earlier, Ms Wright said the licencing process was an important weapon to reduce the use of tobacco. She assured that her organisation would provide full support to the Excise Department for the success of the licencing move.

Additional DG Saeed said the registration for issuance of licences of mega stores had been done and registration of the rest of stores were in progress. He said there were more than 25,000 tobacco business units in Punjab to be licenced and the licencing would also increase government revenues.

Mr Ali also presented a commemorative shield to Ms Wright.

Published in Dawn, July 22th, 2023