Vietnam appeases Big Tobacco with toothless taxes
Vietnam’s latest bid to raise its tobacco taxes will do little to curb consumption because it fails to hit the country’s die-hard smokers where they hurt most – their pockets, health groups say. At a meeting of the Standing Committee of the National Assembly – Vietnam’s legislature – on Thursday, Minister of Finance Dinh Tien Dung put forth a proposal to raise the excise tax on tobacco from 65 percent to 70 percent in January 2016 and 75 percent in 2019.
The finance ministry said the 2010 Global Adult Tobacco Survey found that around 15.3 million people actively smoke in Vietnam, exposing an estimated 46.8 million, mostly women and children, to secondhand smoke. Smoking caused around 40,000 deaths in Vietnam in 2007, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates, which warned that this figure could surge to 70,000 by the end of 2030 if drastic measures are not taken.
Related Posts
Fake Flappy Bird apps a security risk
Scammers are cashing in on the demand for the now-defunct Flappy Bird app,...
Man caught trying to smuggle 90,000 cigarettes through Manchester Airport.
A smuggler was snared trying to bring 90,000 cigarettes through Manchester...
Dodgy Vodka and Fake Cigs: Pirated Goods Hit UK This Festive Season
Christmas drinkers have been warned to keep a close eye on their spirits this...
Illegal sites selling smuggled duty-free cigarettes on rise
According to data from Incheon Main Customs, cases of tobacco smuggling increased...