The Phnom Penh Times reported on December 21 that the World Health Organization and the Cambodian Health Campaign Organization urged the Cambodian government to increase tobacco taxes.
Cambodia imposes relatively low taxes on tobacco products. Domestically produced cigarettes are subject to a 25% tariff, while imported cigarettes are taxed at 31%. According to the Ministry of Economy and Finance, taxes on tobacco products in Cambodia are 20% lower than in other ASEAN countries.
According to the WHO, raising tobacco taxes is the most effective way to reduce smoking and related health problems. A recent WHO study found that raising the price of a pack of cigarettes by $0.12 now would not only prevent at least 30,000 people from smoking next year, it would also prevent 10,000 deaths over the next 10 years and generate approximately $53 million annually. of taxes.
According to the health center, the number of smokers in Cambodia increased from 1.47 million to 1.63 million between 2011 and 2021.
