ISLAMABAD: A delegation of the Pakistan National Heart Association (Panah) has asked the Ministry of National Health Services (NHS) to change the name of the sin tax on cigarettes to a health levy.

The suggestion was made at a meeting between the delegation and NHS Minister Aamir Mehmood Kiani on Wednesday. Panah’s delegation was led by its president, retired Maj Gen Masudur Rehman Kiani and included general secretary Sanaullah Ghumman.

The Panah president said at the meeting that Pakistan is bound under the World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control to raise taxes on tobacco every year. He asked the minister to consider suggestions on tobacco taxation and raise taxes to keep products out of people’s reach.

Mr Kiani had proposed introducing a sin tax on tobacco products and sugary beverages in December 2018, as part of the government’s effort to increase the health budget to 5pc of the GDP. This decision was also praised by WHO Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus during a visit to Pakistan in January.

However there was no mention of the sin tax in the amended money bill tabled in the National Assembly on Jan 23.

Panah legal adviser Malik Imran told Dawn they had proposed changing the tax’s name because calling it a sin tax may bring criticism from smokers.

He said according to WHO estimates, such a tax could increase government revenue on cigarettes by up to Rs32 billion a year.

“Moreover, an increase in tax would reduce adult cigarette consumption by almost 42pc – about 28 billion cigarettes, and reduce the number of smoking-related deaths among current and future smokers by about 11pc – a reduction of about 1.1 million),” he said.

Published in Dawn, February 21st, 2019