Over 2000 youth urge PM and FM to increase taxes on tobacco products on National Youth Day

According to the youth groups, increasing excise on all tobacco products can be a very effective policy measure to address the immediate need to raise revenue by the central government.

Hyderabad: Over 2000 youth including youth associations across the country on the occasion of National Youth Day, urged the Prime Minister and Finance Minister to increase excise duty on all tobacco products in the upcoming budget of 2023-24.

According to the youth groups, increasing excise on all tobacco products can be a very effective policy measure to address the immediate need to raise revenue by the central government. It will be a winning proposition for generating revenue and reducing tobacco use and related diseases.

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Some of the major suggestions made by these youth groups include significantly increasing the existing tax burden so that tobacco products become unaffordable by the vulnerable (especially the youths) and reduce the economic burden it imposes, minimizing the discrepancies in taxation across different tobacco products and simplifying the tobacco tax structure by reducing the number of tax tiers and implementing stronger packing rules.

“Tobacco use not only harms our health but it is also a threat to the health of our friends and family. Additionally, tobacco users also have a greater risk of developing severe cases of cancer. I urge the youth of India to break free from dependence on tobacco and stay healthy”, says PV Sindhu, ace badminton player & Olympian.