INCREASE TAXES ON CIGARETTES – TOBACCO CONTROL ACTIVISTS

obacco control activists are calling upon the government to increase taxes on tobacco products, especially cigarettes. They note that the last tax increase on cigarettes occurred in 2017, contrary to World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations for progressive taxation. According to a 2017 report from the Centre for Tobacco Control Africa (CTCA), the total health cost of tobacco use in Uganda—including the direct costs of treatment and the indirect costs of lost income and productivity due to death and disability—amounts to 328.82 billion Ugandan shillings, equivalent to approximately USD 126.48 million. Activists argue that increasing tobacco taxation would boost government revenue while reducing morbidity and mortality associated with tobacco consumption. The Tobacco Control Activists include the Uganda National Health Consumers Organization (UNHCO) and the Uganda Health Communication Alliance.