DUSHANBE, October 30, 2010, Asia-Plus — The Majlisi Namoyandagon (Tajikistan’s lower chamber of parliament) will consider the bill on restrictions on the use of tobacco products next week.
Member of the Majlisi Namoyandagon also head of the group of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) within the lower house of the parliament, Jumaboy Sanginov, told Asia-Plus that the Majlisi Namoyandagon committees had already discussed the bill and supported that initiative.
“The law will be submitted for signing to the president at the end of November,” Sanginov said.
In the meantime, representative from one of largest suppliers of tobacco products to Tajikistan, who wanted to remain unnamed, noted that the law would restrict official tobacco supplies to the country, while the delivery of smuggled tobacco products to the country would not decrease. “I think that not only we will suffer from this law, restrictions on the use of tobacco products will affect the country’s budget as well; we pay huge taxes and customs duties to the government,” said he, “Meanwhile, the amount of smuggle tobacco products will increase in our country several times.”
As far as the number of smokers is concerned, the supplier considers that the law may have the converse effect. “Forbidden fruit is sweetest, you know,” noted he. “I would suggest that the government should take more efforts to combat the delivery of smuggled goods to the country, because the smuggled tobacco products of questionable quality are more detrimental to health.”
He also fears that the law will lead to rise in rates of taxes and customs duties as well as cost of documentary stamps.
We will recall that the bill on restrictions on the use of tobacco products, drafted under president’s initiative, in particular, prohibits the sales of tobacco products on the territories and near educational health, cultural, and sports facilities. Besides, the law prohibits smoking in indoor public and working places, administrative buildings, offices of governmental and non-governmental organizations, health, educational, cultural and sports facilities, recreation areas, places for holding public events, halls of airports and railroad stations, public transport, except specially assigned smoking areas.
The law is expected to come into effect on January 1, 2011.
Those who break the law will have to pay a fee in an amount equal to up to 15 accounting indicators for physical entities and up to 300 accounting indicators for legal entities. The accounting indicator for this year is set at 35.00 somoni.
