The Maldives Parliament approved government legislation cutting the import duty on cigarettes from MVR 8 to MVR 4 ($0.52 to $0.26) per cigarette, with the bill passing unanimously on July 1 without amendments. The measure was approved by 68 MPs after advancing through the Committee of the Whole Parliament, despite earlier heated political debate over the government’s reversal of the duty increase introduced in November 2024. Government lawmakers said the reduction reflects evidence that the country’s vape ban did not lead to a significant increase in cigarette smoking and supports its broader tobacco control strategy.
The government said the duty reduction follows recommendations from the World Health Organization and forms part of a longer-term approach to sustainable tobacco control. Officials have indicated they will continue to review cigarette duty rates based on future research while maintaining other tobacco control measures introduced in recent years.