Why no cigarette sales tax in 2027 Budget, asks consumer group
GEORGE TOWN: Millions are being spent on smoking-related diseases but there was no new sales tax on cigarettes in the 2027 Budget.
The Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) has expressed disappointment over the lack of a cigarette sales tax in the 2027 Budget, despite millions being spent on smoking-related diseases. Education officer N.V. Subbarow highlighted the government's continued expenditure on treating smoking-related illnesses, deeming the absence of a tax on cigarettes a major concern.
Subbarow pointed out that cigarettes are popular among teenagers, students, and youths, and the lack of taxation could lead to more young people becoming addicted to smoking. The CAP had repeatedly urged the government to raise cigarette sales tax in the 2027 Budget to curb smoking among young people, citing new statistics that showed 43,019 secondary school students and 341 primary school students were smoking cigarettes.
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