President Muhammadu Buhari has been advised to tax shisha pots and other electronic smoking devices in the country.
According to Okeke Anya, the Programme Manager on Democratic Governance of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), who made the call, including shisha pots and other electric smoking devices in the new tobacco tax regime will reduce consumption among the Nigerian populace.
Maintaining that tobacco has a devastating effect on the health of its consumers, the CISLAC boss said taxing it would not only make revenue for the government but would also address its high consumption rate.
“The increase in tax will also be an avenue to generate revenue for the country. This is how many countries operate because consumption of tobacco is a luxury and not a necessity,” Anya said.
He also called on the federal government to engage in a robust track and trace system that would curb illicit tobacco flow into the market.
“Nigerians will like to know which tobacco products have paid the right kind of tax duties, know where these products are coming from and where they are heading to,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Buhari-led administration had recently approved the implementation of a new tariff and tax regime on imported goods, mainly beverages, and alcohol, among others.
In the new regime as contained in a circular issued on March 1, 2022 by the Federal Ministry of Finance Budget and National Planning and sent to strategic Ministries, Departments and Agencies, including the Nigeria Customs Service and the Federal Inland Revenue Service, it’s listed a upward and downward review of tariff and taxes to be paid on imported goods from 2022 to 2026.
Under the new CET, non alcoholic beverages, fruit juice, energy drinks etc will pay N10 per litre consumed, while beer and stout and other alcoholic drinks not made from malt – whether fermented or not fermented will pay N40 per litre in 2022, N45 per litre in 2023 and N50 per litre in 2024.
Also wine (alcoholic) consumers will pay N40 per litre in 2022, N60 in 2023 and N70 per litre in 2024, while spirit (alcoholic) consumers like whisky, brandy, volka, and rums will pay N40 per litre in 2022, N65 per litre in 2023 and N75 per litre in 2024.
