A Non Governmental Organization, NGO, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, CISLAC, is set for a one-day training to update relevant stakeholders on the new Tobacco Taxation.
According to a statement signed by the organization’s Executive Director, Auwal Ibrahim Musa and made available to the Next Edition, CISLAC is holding the event under the auspices of the project “Tobacco Tax Advocacy in Africa’’ with support from Tax Justice Network Africa, TJNA.
The training, which will hold in Jos, Plateau state capital, on Thursday, April 4, 2019, has the objective of enlightening and updating participants on the current tax regime on tobacco products and highlighting strategies for effective implementation as well as its implications.
The statement said participants were drawn from relevant civil society organisations in the North-Central zone with the aim of galvanizing regional contributions to the implementation of the tax regime and overall tobacco control advocacy.
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The statement read in part, “Tobacco taxation is an essential component of a comprehensive tobacco control strategy. However, to fully realize the benefits, it is vital to understand the impact of increased taxes among high-risk sub populations.
“Tobacco taxation, passed on to consumers in the form of higher cigarette prices, has been recognized as one of the most effective population-based strategies for decreasing smoking and its adverse health consequences.
“Although tobacco control advocates have described in clear terms the new tobacco regime as largely insufficient and only capable of having minor (if any) effects on the tobacco industry, it is projected to have a slight improvement on public health and contribute to a larger impact on public revenue.”
CISLAC therefore noted that while advocates continue to seek higher tobacco taxation, it is imperative for stakeholders to monitor strict enforcement of the new tobacco tax regime as a control measure to reduce tobacco use.
