‘You cannot touch taxes easily’: making the case for tobacco taxation in India

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shreelata Rao Seshadri ◽  
Radhika Kaulgud ◽  
Prabhat Jha
Keyword(s):  
Tobacco Control ◽  
Health Sector ◽  
Control Policy ◽  
Political Support ◽  
Centralized Control ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Goods And Services ◽  
Taxation Policy ◽  
The Government ◽  
Legal Frameworks

Abstract India represents over 1.3 billion people with >100 million adult smokers. The catastrophic health costs of smoking are staggering; and estimates show that even modest increases in taxes on cigarettes and bidis would both raise substantial revenues for the government and save ∼69 million years of healthy life over the next four decades. Karnataka represents a good example of tobacco control efforts and their impact. This case study examines the factors that have contributed to tobacco control policy in Karnataka based on 23 semi-structured interviews with key informants engaged in tobacco policymaking and decision-making, tobacco control/taxation research and advocacy. Their narratives indicate that: (i) Domestic taxation policy is complicated by the complex tax structure and centralized control over taxation with the introduction of Goods and Services Tax; (ii) Implementation of legal frameworks is a challenge, due to conflicts with powerful industry and farmer lobbies. A vigorous civil society backed by the Courts is necessary to garner political support; (iii) Action on taxation is hampered by weak leadership and mixed messaging; and (iv) There is a need for innovative policy solutions to promote both demand- and supply-side measures for tobacco control. Tobacco control advocates need to recognize the political economy of tobacco control and generate strong, reliable and scientifically sound evidence to support their arguments. Working for incremental ‘wins’ in terms of more stringent application of existing legal frameworks can make a substantial difference even in contexts where enhancing tobacco taxes is a challenge. Promoting multisectoral action is critical, at both policy and the ground levels, by expanding ownership and responsibility for tobacco control to sectors beyond health. Finally, the health sector needs to recommit to its role as a champion for tobacco control. Failure to do so would amount to a failure on multiple fronts—public health, economic, fiscal and ethical.

scholarly journals Needs of LMIC-based tobacco control advocates to counter tobacco industry policy interference: insights from semi-structured interviews

BMJ Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. e044710
Author(s):  
Britta Katharina Matthes ◽  
Lindsay Robertson ◽  
Anna B Gilmore
Keyword(s):  
Tobacco Control ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
Tobacco Industry ◽  
Control Policy ◽  
Qualitative Description ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Adoption And Implementation ◽  
National Coalition ◽  
Industry Policy

IntroductionAdvocacy is vital for advancing tobacco control and there has been considerable investment in this area. While much is known about tobacco industry interference (TII), there is little research on advocates’ efforts in countering TII and what they need to succeed. We sought to examine this and focused on low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) where adoption and implementation of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) tend to remain slower and weaker.MethodWe interviewed 22 advocates from eight LMICs with recent progress in a tobacco control policy. We explored participants’ experiences in countering TII, including the activities they undertake, challenges they encounter and how their efforts could be enhanced. We used Qualitative Description to analyse transcripts and validated findings through participant feedback.ResultsWe identified four main areas of countering activities: (1) generating and compiling data and evidence, (2) accessing policymakers and restricting industry access, (3) working with media and (4) engaging in a national coalition. Each area was linked to challenges, including (1) lack of data, (2) no/weak implementation of FCTC Article 5.3, (3) industry ties with media professionals and (4) advocates’ limited capacity. To address these challenges, participants suggested initiatives, including access to country-specific data, building advocates’ skills in compiling and using such data in research and monitoring, and in coalition development; others aiming at training journalists to question and investigate TII; and finally, diverse interventions intended to advance a whole-of-government approach to tobacco control. Structural changes to tobacco control funding and coordination were suggested to facilitate the proposed measures.ConclusionThis research highlights that following years of investment in tobacco control in LMICs, there is growing confidence in addressing TII. We identify straightforward initiatives that could strengthen such efforts. This research also underscores that more structural changes to enhance tobacco control capacity building should be considered.

scholarly journals Tobacco industry tactics in response to cigarette excise tax increases in Mauritius

2019 ◽  
pp. tobaccocontrol-2019-055196 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julie Berthet Valdois ◽  
Corne Van Walbeek ◽  
Hana Ross ◽  
Hema Soondram ◽  
Bhavish Jugurnath ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tobacco Control ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
Control Policy ◽  
Retail Price ◽  
Mixed System ◽  
Specific System ◽  
The Real ◽  
Excise Tax ◽  
Real Value ◽  
The Government

BackgroundIn response to high smoking rates, especially among men, Mauritius launched a National Action Plan on Tobacco Control in 2008. It changed its tax system from a mixed system to a uniform specific system. Despite these interventions, cigarette consumption and smoking prevalence in Mauritius decreased only marginally in the subsequent decade.MethodUsing publicly available data, we decompose the retail price of cigarettes into tax and net-of-tax components, between 2011 and 2017. We cover premium, popular and economy cigarettes.ResultsSince its introduction in 2008, the nominal excise tax was increased six times. Between 2011 and 2017, the real value of the excise tax increased by 47%. Meanwhile, British American Tobacco (BAT) increased the real net-of-tax price of premium cigarettes by 61.8% and of popular cigarettes by 47.2%, thus overshifting the tax increase. On economy cigarettes, BAT decreased the real net-of-tax price by 14.7%, thus undershifting the excise tax increase.ConclusionThrough its pricing strategy, BAT has greatly undermined Mauritius’s tobacco control policy. However, BAT cannot continue undershifting the excise tax on economy brands, since the net-of-tax proportion of the retail price is very low already. BAT would have little choice but to increase the retail price on economy brands in response to future excise tax increases. The government of Mauritius is encouraged to keep the specific excise tax structure but to increase the rate at which it is levied.

scholarly journals Recommendations to improve insurance coverage for physiotherapy services in Iran: A multi-criteria decision making approach

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saeed Shahabi ◽  
Seyed Taghi Heydari ◽  
Kamran Bagheri Lankarani ◽  
Leila Zarei
Keyword(s):  
Population Aging ◽  
Insurance Coverage ◽  
Health Sector ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Third Party ◽  
Second Phase ◽  
Policy Recommendations ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Goods And Services

Abstract Background: High toll of traffic-related injuries, climate change, natural disasters, population aging, as well as chronic diseases have all made considerable demands on receiving physiotherapy services in Iran. Nevertheless, there is an assortment of complications facing utilization of such services, particularly poor insurance coverage. Therefore, the present study investigated and prioritized potential policy recommendations to improve insurance coverage for physiotherapy services in Iran.Methods: This project was carried out in Iran, using a mix-methods (viz. qualitative-quantitative) approach. Within the first phase, a qualitative study was completed to find policy recommendations. Such recommendations were then prioritized through the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), in the second phase, based on effectiveness, acceptability, cost, fairness, feasibility, and time. Results: Within the first phase, a total number of 30 semi-structured interviews with health policy-makers, health insurers, faculty members, rehabilitation experts, and physiotherapists were completed. Several policy recommendations were also proposed by the study participants. Following the second phase, prioritized recommendations were provided to promote stewardship (e.g. informing policy-makers about physiotherapy services), collection of funds (e.g. placing value-added taxes on luxury goods and services), pooling of funds (e.g. moving allocated resources towards insurance [viz. third-party] mechanism), purchasing (e.g. using strategic purchasing), and benefit package (e.g. considering preventive interventions) as the main components of insurance coverage. Conclusion: The study findings provided a favorable ground to improve insurance coverage for physiotherapy services in Iran. As well, decision- and policy-makers can place these recommendations on the agenda in the health sector to protect population health status, especially that of groups with disabilities.

scholarly journals Recommendations to improve the insurance coverage for physiotherapy services in Iran A multi-criteria decision making approach

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saeed Shahabi ◽  
Seyed Taghi Heydari ◽  
Kamran Bagheri Lankarani ◽  
Leila Zarei
Keyword(s):  
Insurance Coverage ◽  
Health Sector ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Third Party ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Second Phase ◽  
Policy Recommendations ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Goods And Services

Abstract Background High rate of traffic injuries, climate changes, natural disasters, aging, and chronic diseases have been resulted in a considerable demand for receiving physiotherapy in Iran. However, there are various complications in utilization of physiotherapy services, especially poor insurance coverage. This study investigated and prioritized potential policy recommendations to improve the insurance coverage for physiotherapy services in Iran. Methods The present project was carried out using mix-method (qualitative-quantitative) approach in Iran. In the first phase, a qualitative study was conducted to find the policy recommendations and in the second phase, obtained policy recommendations were prioritized based on the effectiveness, acceptability, cost, fairness, feasibility, and time using Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). Results In the first phase, 30 semi-structured interviews with health policy-makers, health insurers, faculty members, rehabilitation experts, and physiotherapists were conducted. Several policy recommendations were proposed by participants. Following the second phase, prioritized recommendations were provided to promote stewardship (e.g. informing the policy-makers about physiotherapy services), collection of funds (e.g. value-added tax on luxury goods and services), pooling of funds (e.g. moving the allocated resources to insurance (third party) mechanism), purchasing (e.g. using strategic purchasing), and benefit package (e.g. considering the preventive interventions) as main components of insurance coverage. Conclusion The findings of this study will be provided a favorable ground to improve the insurance coverage for physiotherapy services in Iran, and decision- and policy-makers can place these recommendations at their agenda settings in the health sector to protect the health status of population, especially disabled groups.

scholarly journals Barreiras Identificadas em Contratações Públicas Sustentáveis: uma análise de uma organização pública ## Barriers Identified in Sustainable Procurement: analysis of a public organization

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 120
Author(s):  
Dalmir Machado Torres Filho Torres Filho ◽  
Marcos Paulo De Oliveira Corrêa ◽  
Mariana Da Silva Rodrigues ◽  
Murilo Cássio Xavier Fahel
Keyword(s):  
Public Procurement ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Environmental Crisis ◽  
Public Organization ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Goods And Services ◽  
Sustainable Products ◽  
Sustainable Procurement ◽  
The Government

ResumoA possível crise ambiental levanta questionamentos quanto ao impacto que as escolhas de consumo têm no agravamento do problema ou no apontamento de soluções. Essa questão assume maior relevância quando analisada pelo ponto de vista governamental, um dos grandes consumidores de bens e serviços. No intuito de contribuir com as políticas que visam à utilização do poder de compra do Estado para indução de maior sustentabilidade do mercado, este artigo objetiva identificar as principais barreiras postas à maior utilização das Contratações Públicas Sustentáveis (CPS), no caso do Banco Central do Brasil. Como modelo analítico, utilizou-se revisão bibliográfica e documental quanto à evolução das CPS como alicerce de uma metodologia mista, ou seja, quali-quantitativa, com coleta de dados por meio de entrevistas semiestruturadas e questionários. Os fatores estudados foram priorizados levando em conta o grau em que foram considerados enquanto barreiras e o nível de consenso dessas percepções. Dessa forma, foi possível identificar que os preços mais elevados, a dificuldade de identificar os produtos e serviços mais sustentáveis, a incerteza de alguns demandantes em relação à qualidade desses produtos e a falta de treinamento específico constituem as principais barreiras enfrentadas. Por outro lado, a instituição oferece espaço para realização dessas contratações, os servidores atribuem importância a elas e compreendem o porquê de sua utilização.Abstract The current environmental crisis raises questions: consumer choices are part of the aggravation of the problem or can pointing solutions. This issue is more relevant when analyzed from the government point of view, one of the biggest consumers of goods and services. In order to contribute to policies aimed at using the state’s purchasing power to induce greater market sustainability, this paper aims to identify the main barriers to the increased use of Sustainable Public Procurement (SPC) in the case of the Central Bank of Brazil. As an analytical model, a bibliographical and documentary review of the evolution of SPC was used as a basis for a mixed methodology, that is, qualitative and quantitative, with data collection through semi-structured interviews and questionnaires. The factors studied were prioritized considering the degree to which they were considered barriers and the level of consensus of these perceptions. In this way, it was possible to identify that the higher prices, the difficulty of identifying the most sustainable products and services, the uncertainty of some servants regarding the quality of these products and the lack of specific training are the main barriers faced. On the other hand, the institution offers space for accomplishment of these hirings, the servers attach importance, and they understand the reason for their use.

scholarly journals A Juridical Review on the Enforcement of Criminal Law to the Violations of Tender Conspiracy Practices in the Procurement of Government Goods/Services in Health Sector

2021 ◽  
Vol 04 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Retna K. Rachman ◽  
◽  
◽  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
Health Sector ◽  
Government Procurement ◽  
Market Demand ◽  
Goods And Services ◽  
Care Services ◽  
The Government ◽  
Demand For Health

Due to the demand for health care services that is getting higher, making business actors engaged in the provision of health services/facilities also seek to further improve the services they have to meet market demand. Hospitals and health clinics are increasingly diverse in offering health services to potential consumers. So that people as consumers also have a variety of choices to fulfill their needs for health services. The health sector is one of the programs that has a fairly large budget item at this time, namely the health equipment procurement program. The large budget allocation from the government opens up opportunities to be misused if there is no strict supervision from the stakeholders themselves or from other institutions. The health budget that should be used to build public health is actually used to enrich oneself and others which can result in poor service and quality of public health. Meanwhile, one of the basic problems related to business competition in Indonesia is the process of procurement of government goods/services. In the process of procuring government goods and services, some believe that there are still many practices of conspiracy to determine the winner in a tender. This clearly contradicts the principles and mechanisms that have been regulated in Presidential Regulation No. 12 of 2021 concerning Government Procurement of Goods/Services and Law No. 5 of 1999 concerning Government Procurement. KPPU was formed based on the mandate of Law Number 5 of 1999. The purpose of this paper is to examine the extent to which the limitations and powers of the KPPU are related to the handling of cases of tender conspiracy which have implications for criminal acts.

Beyond the European Union Tobacco Products Directive: smokers’ and recent quitters’ support for further tobacco control measures (2016–2018)

2021 ◽  
pp. tobaccocontrol-2020-056177
Author(s):  
Sarah O Nogueira ◽  
Pete Driezen ◽  
Marcela Fu ◽  
Sara C Hitchman ◽  
Olena Tigova ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Tobacco Control ◽  
Control Policy ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Tobacco Products ◽  
Quit Smoking ◽  
The Government ◽  
Levels Of Support ◽  
Considerable Support

BackgroundSeveral measures recommended by the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control have not been implemented in the European Union, despite changes in the legislation such as the Tobacco Products Directive (TPD). This study aims to understand smokers’ and recent quitters’ levels of support for tobacco control measures that go beyond the TPD during and after its implementation.MethodsData from wave 1 (2016, n=6011) and wave 2 (2018, n=6027) of the EUREST-PLUS International Tobacco Control Policy Evaluation Project Six European Countries Survey, a cohort of adult smokers in Germany, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Spain were used to estimate the level of support for seven different tobacco control measures, overall and by country.ResultsIn 2018, the highest support was for implementing measures to further regulate tobacco products (50.5%) and for holding tobacco companies accountable for the harm caused by smoking (48.8%). Additionally, in 2018, 40% of smokers and recent quitters supported a total ban on cigarettes and other tobacco products within ten years, if assistance to quit smoking is provided. Overall, support for tobacco control measures among smokers and recent quitters after the implementation of the TPD remained stable over time.ConclusionThere is considerable support among smokers and recent quitters for tobacco control measures that go beyond the current measures implemented. A significant percentage of smokers would support a ban on tobacco products in the future if the government provided assistance to quit smoking. This highlights the importance of implementing measures to increase smoking cessation in conjunction with other policies.

scholarly journals Exploring the Challenges of Goods and Services Tax on Batik Manufacturers

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (4.15) ◽  
pp. 510
Author(s):  
Zalilawati Yaacob ◽  
Nadiah Abd Hamid ◽  
Nor Fara Shahirah Kamal ◽  
Noorlaila Ghazali ◽  
Roszil Shamsuddin
Keyword(s):  
Business Performance ◽  
Manufacturing Industry ◽  
Financial Burden ◽  
Business Associations ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Goods And Services ◽  
The Government ◽  
High Level ◽  
The Impact

The implementation of Goods and Services Tax (GST) in Malaysia has received criticism from various parties such as businesses, policy makers, professionals, business associations and individuals. Despite the rejections from these parties, the government proceeded to implement GST on 1 April 2015. Subsequently, this led to difficulties encountered by businesses, particularly the manufacturing industry in adjusting the production cost, setting prices of products, and comply with the new indirect tax structure. Hence, this study aims to explore the challenges of GST on SME batik manufacturers pertaining to business performance and compliance. A semi structured interviews were conducted on the top management and owners of SME batik manufacturer in two states of Malaysian Peninsular, namely Kelantan and Terengganu. The respondents reported that, during the era of GST, sales of their batik products decreased tremendously. In addition, they described the GST system as a complex system that affects compliance. This study solicits government’s attention on the impact of GST on Malaysian batik manufacturers. The findings suggest that it is essential for government to devise plans in reducing the financial burden of batik manufacturers and to simplify the GST mechanism in encouraging a high level of GST compliance. 

scholarly journals The Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in Slovakia and in Finland: one law, two different practices?

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara Pavlikova ◽  
Jitse P. van Dijk
Keyword(s):  
Health Promotion ◽  
Tobacco Control ◽  
Monitoring System ◽  
Control Policy ◽  
Tobacco Consumption ◽  
Legal Framework ◽  
Current Data ◽  
European Standards ◽  
Laws And Policies ◽  
Legal Frameworks

Abstract Background The Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) was ratified in 2004 in Slovakia and in 2005 in Finland. The aim of this study was to compare the implementation of the FCTC in the national laws and policies regarding smoking in Finland and Slovakia. Methods In this case study the following areas are compared: the legal framework; the monitoring system and health promotion; treatment; and policies aimed at reducing tobacco consumption. We report on these in this order after a short historical introduction. Results The legal frameworks are similar in Slovakia and in Finland. Finland far exceeds the minimum legal requirements. Slovakian regulations reflect the FCTC requirements; however, social tolerance is very high. In Finland the monitoring system and health promotion are aimed more at tobacco consumption. Slovakia does not follow the surveillance plans recommended by WHO so strictly; often there are no current data available. No additional documents regarding the FCTC have been adopted in Slovakia. The financial contribution to treatment is very low. Slovakian tobacco control policy is more focused on repression than on prevention, in contrast to Finland. Smoking bans meet European standards. Excise duties rise regularly in both countries. Conclusion Implementation of the FCTC is at different levels in the compared countries. Finland has a clear plan for achieving the goal of a smoking-free country. Slovakia meets only the minimum standard required for fulfillment of its international obligations. Its policy should become more transparent by making more up-to-date data available.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document