Govt urged to increase FED on tobacco products
Islamabad
February 9, 2021
Islamabad:Tobacco control activists demand that the government shall increase FED on tobacco products, including smokeless tobacco products, in Pakistan. Currently, there are two tax slabs for cigarettes. An amount of Rs33 FED is imposed on cigarettes costing less than Rs90 per packet and Rs90 on cigarettes with a price of Rs90 and above. However, these taxes are still below the standard set by World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) to which Pakistan is a signatory since 2005. FCTC requires signatories to optimally impose a 75% tax on the retail price of cigarette packs. Pakistan has yet to achieve this standard. They demanded at least 30% increase in the Federal Excise Duty (FED) for each slab of cigarettes to enhance revenue collection and lower the consumption of tobacco, especially among youth.
Feb 05 2021, 3:12 PM
February 05 2021, 12:00 AM
February 05 2021, 3:12 PM
(Bloomberg) Many nations are struggling to persuade reluctant citizens to get Covid-19 inoculations, but perhaps nowhere are the challenges as daunting as in Pakistan, where mistrust is fueled by anti-Muslim conspiracy theories and the legacy of the hunt for Osama bin Laden.
(Bloomberg) Many nations are struggling to persuade reluctant citizens to get Covid-19 inoculations, but perhaps nowhere are the challenges as daunting as in Pakistan, where mistrust is fueled by anti-Muslim conspiracy theories and the legacy of the hunt for Osama bin Laden.
Mehrab Ali, a fruit merchant in Karachi, is one of many across the Islamic republic who wonât step forward after Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday launched the nationâs vaccination drive. The father of six, who also refused to vaccinate his children against polio, argued that Covid-19 is a foreign plot against Muslims.
Conspiracy theories test Pakistan’s vaccine drive
National
February 6, 2021
NEW YORK: Many nations are struggling to persuade reluctant citizens to get Covid-19 inoculations, but perhaps nowhere are the challenges as daunting as in Pakistan, where mistrust is fueled by anti-Muslim conspiracy theories and the legacy of the hunt for Osama bin Laden, reports Bloomberg.
Mehrab Ali, a fruit merchant in Karachi, is one of many across the country who won’t step forward after Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday launched the nation’s vaccination drive. The father of six, who also refused to vaccinate his children against polio, argued that Covid-19 is a foreign plot against Muslims.
In Pakistan, anti-western sentiment around inoculations abound. The mistrust goes deep, with healthworkers seen as spies and the ingredients going into doses being questioned.