INCREASE VAT ON TOBACCO — CSO TELLS FG

The Federal Government has been urged to increase taxes on cigarette and other tobacco related products in line with World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommendation to control the use of the commodity.

The Programme Manager of a Civil Society group, Mr. Okeke Anya made the call at a workshop on control of tobacco held in Owerri.

Mr. Anya said the present tax regime of twenty percent on cigarette as against seventy percent endorsed by WHO was responsible to high rate of tobacco consumption among Nigerians.

Mr. Anya also appealed to the Imo State Government to domesticate the National Tobacco Control Act of 2015 to check the activities of tobacco industries.

A resource person, Mr. Peter Unekwu-Ojo, noted that tobacco consumption posed serious health hazard to human life, hence adequate measures should be taken to discourage the use.

According to him, the task of checking harmful effects of cigarette smoking requires the collective efforts of every Nigerians.

Mr. Unekwu-Ojo expressed regret that many Nigerians lose their lives to tobacco smoking while those involved in the business engaged in the business continued to rake in billions of naira annually.

Participants in the programme were drawn from civil society organizations, youth associations, human right commission and the media.

CHINAZO ILECHUKWU