WHO Wants Cambodia to Raise Tobacco Taxes

Ada Moadsiri, World Health Organization representative in Cambodia, called for an increase in the special tax on cigarettes in the kingdom, reports the Khmer Times. According to Moadsiri, the current tax is not enough to discourage cigarette use or to raise enough revenues to offset the cost in terms of healthcare and economic output caused by tobacco-related illnesses.

Moadsiri said, at the Youth Forum on Tobacco Tax Measures event, that an effective increase in the special tax would require stakeholders to keep cigarette prices higher and make it more difficult for Cambodians to start smoking.

“We see that this delusion of the tobacco industry that claims that raising taxes on cigarettes will lead to tax evasion is fake, and I think the tobacco industry uses these fantasies for the sole purpose of preventing or delaying the special tax on cigarettes,” Moadsiri said.