Pakistan: Tax on Tobacco Export Should be Reduced

Source from:  Pakistan Observer 08/02/2012

Senate Standing Committee on Commerce on Wednesday recommended that the tax on tobacco export should be reduced from Rs.10 to Rs.5 kg. Meanwhile, Federal Secretary Commerce, Munir Qureshi said in meeting that the price of fixation was made to protect the interests of growers. Speaking in the meeting of the committee which met with Senator Ghulam Ali in chair here, Commerce Secretary further said, this is minimum price below which tobacco of various grades will not be bought and sold for consumption within Pakistan or for export. "If we look at history of tobacco sale, you rarely find the sale tobacco was made at price fixed by the board,"he said, adding "the is minimum price which forces the tobacco companies to buy at fixed price, if the production of crop is surplus. " State Minister Ministry of Commerce, Abbas Khan Afridi said that the consultative meeting was held with all stakeholder regarding the price fixation in the Khyber Pakhtunkhawa (KPK) on rate of Rs.117 per Kg as fixed by the board. Enditem