Digital Monitoring On Non-duty Paid Cigarettes From June; Senate Told

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th Jan, 2017 ) : Minister for Law, Zahid Hamid on Monday informed the Senate that the government was taking enforcement and preventive measures to stop sale of non-duty paid cigarettes in the market.

Replying to a motion moved by Senator Mohsin Aziz, the minister said digital monitoring system will be introduced by June this year to control sale of low quality and non-paid cigarettes in the country.

He said the departments concerned during raids on local tobacco manufacturing companies have arrested 10 persons, lodged 60 FIRs with total cases of 137 during year 2014-15. He said the custom department through its mobile units has started regular checking of various check posts in order to stop sale of non-duty paid cigarettes.

Earlier, Senator Mohsin Aziz urged the government to take concrete steps to stop drastic increase in production and sale of low quality and non-duty paid cigarettes in the country. He was of view that there was a need to have proper legislation for more taxation on tobacco items in order to generate more revenue and discourage youth to use tobacco.

He said more steps should be taken to stop illicit trade of tobacco in the country which badly affecting people due to its poor quality and also affecting revenue generation. Senator Salim Mandiwala, Senator Kalsoom Parveen, Senator Nauman Wazir and Senator Mushahid Ullah also spoke on the motion.