PTI doubled the health budget from the past: Dr Zafar Mirza

ISLAMABAD: State Minister for Health Dr Zafar Mirza today (Saturday) claimed that the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) had doubled the health budget compared to the past, ARY News reported.

The minister claimed that the current government had successfully implemented it’s promise made in their election manifesto by doubling the health budget.

He also told the media that Federal Excise Duty (FED) on cigarettes had been increased and the money generated from cigarette taxation would be used on provision of healthcare facilities.

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Mirza also revealed that smoking was causing yearly losses to the national exchequer worth Rs 143.20 billion rupees.

Minister of State for Revenue Hammad Azhar presented the budget for fiscal year 2019-20 in National Assembly on June 11.

Azhar in his speech indicated the increment in Federal Excise Duty (FED) on cigarettes which was to be levied on fixed rate basis.

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The rates need to be increased each year to account for increase in prices, he added.

FED is proposed to be increased. Traditionally cigarettes are taxed in two slabs but during 2017 a third tier was introduced to attract low priced illicit market which did not yield desired results.

The upper slab will be taxed from Rs 4500 per 1000 sticks to Rs 5200 per 1000 sticks. For lower slab the existing two slabs will be merged to Rs 1650 per 1000 sticks, Azhar revealed.