Petition to Policy Makers and Government of Pakistan
I will not say stay silent
I will not let illicit cigarette mafia rob my country
I will work with others to campaign against this menace
I will speak out against illicit cigarette mafia
I will not stop till they are stopped
In Pakistan, Rs. 44 Billion is looted every year by illicit cigarette trade [1]. This robbery is done by illicit cigarette manufacturers who under-declare their production to evade taxes.
In 2018, Oxford Economics published a report, wherein, a survey was conducted across 16 countries in Asia, Pakistan ranked number 1 for Illegal Cigarette Consumption [2]. Off the 77.8 Billion cigarette sticks consumed in Pakistan, 41.9% of that market is captured by illegal cigarettes which account for 32.6 Billion non-tax paid cigarettes [2]. If we are able to collect this amount, it will help bring in new revenue streams which can be invested in Pakistan to improve public services, provide employment opportunities and have a direct impact on our national growth.
There is an urgent need to #StopIllegalTrade of all forms to ensure our country prospers.
Signed
Proud Pakistani who wants a ‘Khushaal Pakistan’
- Oxford Economics – Asia Illicit Tobacco Indicator 2017. Average tax revenue loss from FY12/13 – FY17/18
- Asia Illicit Tobacco Indicator 2017: Pakistan (https://illicittobacco.oxfordeconomics.com/markets/pakistan)
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