Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has voiced opposition to the idea of levying taxes on Naswar in the upcoming provincial budget.
In a recent meeting of the KP cabinet, chaired by CM Ali Amin Gandapur to finalize proposals for the 2024 budget, a suggestion to tax Naswar was put forward.
However, Gandapur opposed the idea, highlighting that Naswar is predominantly used by the economically disadvantaged and should not be subjected to taxation in the upcoming budget.
It should be recalled that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had increased the tobacco and naswar(snuff) tax across the province. It had increased the tobacco tax up to Rs. 12 per kg and has taxed naswar at Rs. 5 per kg.
A study published in the Oxford Journal of Public Health describes naswar as a type of smokeless tobacco containing powdered tobacco, slaked lime, and indigo.
“It has a high pH and contains unionized nicotine and carcinogenic — likely to cause cancer — tobacco,” as per the study.
