PANAJI: On the occasion of World No Tobacco Day, most public health groups have advocated the GST Council to increase the payment cess on all tobacco products.
Further, they’ve implied that the extra revenue generated can be utilized towards defraying the enhanced costs on health infrastructure because of this Covid-19 pandemic.
Increasing the present reimbursement cess on tobacco, smokeless tobacco products and also levying compensation cess on bidis could be a really effective policy step by the Centre to deal with immediate need to increase revenue to compensate state authorities to their GST revenue shortfalls through a continuous outbreak, the announcement from the public health teams read.
Consumer VOICE, New Delhi, principal operating officer, Ashim Sanyal stated,”Our nation will require enormous financial tools to recover from the financial shock of Covid-19.
Increasing reimbursement cess on tobacco products are going to be a win-win proposal because it will bring about considerable revenue for the authorities when encouraging millions of tobacco users to stop and preventing kids from initiating tobacco use.
” Over three lakh individuals have succumbed to Covid around India.
Tobacco usage is a slow-moving outbreak and asserts 13 lakh lives yearly.
It’s crucial than previously to keep tobacco products from the control of vulnerable people like youth and the underprivileged, ” it stated.
“There’s increasing evidence that smoking and using smokeless tobacco goods increases the chance of getting acute Covid-related ailments,” National Organisation for Tobacco Eradication (NOTE) — India, secretary, Dr Shekhar Salkar said.