who taxes cigarettes?

Our local broadsheet yesterday reports that the World Health Organization (WHO) is urging our government to "raise the excise tax on cigarettes, saying" our "measly tax was not helping the cause of fighting tobacco related diseases". Yes! Yes! Yes!

According to the report our cigarette taxes are small compared to:

Singapore - US$192.56 per 1,000 sticks
Brunei - US$39.30 per 1,000 sticks
Malaysia - US$23.29 per 1,000 sticks
Philippines - US$2.42 up to 29.28 per 1,000 sticks

More taxes, ergo more expensive cigarettes. Hopefully, less smokers.

The real benefit from this move if ever, are the more substantive ones -- health. It far outweighs the hope that additional taxes from this industry will help boost our economy further. Sigh. But I am sure lobbyists are busy doing their thing again. Another sigh :-( But then again.

Cheers!

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