The Federal Government will be increasing the excise tax on tobacco products from 30 percent ad-valorem to 50 percent.
Dr. Mangai Malau, the head of the Tobacco Control Unit, Noncommunicable Disease Division, Federal Ministry of Health on Tuesday, April 18, at the National Tobacco Control Budget Advocates Meeting in Abuja.
Malau who presented a paper titled “Overview of Tobacco Control Funding/Budgeting in Nigeria: Why Tobacco Control Budgeting and Funding? said the tax increase is part of the federal government’s effort to control smoking.
He said that presently, the Federal Government imposed a 30 percent tax on tobacco products but its target was to increase it to 50 percent in order to meet the World Health Organization standard.
According to him, funding for tobacco control must come majorly from taxation and there is also a need for relevant stakeholders to apply tax measures rightly if they are to address the issues of tobacco control in the country.
“In effectively controlling tobacco and tobacco products in Nigeria, funding is a critical component. The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control recognizes this and clearly stipulates it in Article 26.
“It states that parties shall provide financial support in respect of its national activities intended to achieve the objective of the Convention, in accordance with its national plans, priorities, and programs.
“It is also important to state that funding is a major provision of the National Tobacco Control Act.
“Section eight of the Act provides for the Tobacco Control Fund, which shall be used to fund tobacco control activities programs, and projects,” Malau said.
He also added, “It is also important to state that funding is a major provision of the National Tobacco Control Act. Section eight of the Act provides for the Tobacco Control Fund, which shall be used to fund tobacco control activities programs, and projects.
“Tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke is a leading cause of mortality, morbidity, disability, and impoverishment in the world.
“It is the greatest risk factor for non-communicable diseases like hypertension, stroke, cancers, diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases.
“Tobacco causes more than eight million deaths annually around the world, with more than seven million of those deaths as a result of direct tobacco use.
“And about 1.2 million resulting from non-smokers being exposed to second-hand smoke. Also, there is no safe level of exposure to tobacco smoke and even a brief exposure can be harmful to one’s health.
“Concerned about the threat from tobacco, Nigeria signed and ratified the WHO FCTC, in 2004 and 2005 respectively. In 2015, the National Tobacco Control Act was enacted and its Regulations were passed in 2019.”
ALSO, READ
