‘Cost outweigh revenue’

For every ringgit the Malaysian government collects in taxes on cigarettes, it expects to spend MYR4 ($0.96) on treatment for smoking-related diseases, reports The Sun Daily.

Deputy Health Minister Lee Boon Chye said revenue from the duty on tobacco products averaged only about MYR4 billion a year.

“However, the government expects to spend a total of MYR16 billion this year to treat people who have fallen ill as a result of their smoking habit,” Chye told reporters.

The sum of MYR16 billion will be shared between the government and the private sector.