Public Health Ministry supports the idea of import tax levied on alcoholic drinks and tobacco
Panita Norasing
PHITSANULOK, 16 July 2010 (NNT) – The Public Health Ministry backs the Commerce Ministry on direction to levy import tax on alcoholic drinks and tobacco as they are products harmful to health and may damage the country's economy in the long run.
Dr Phansiri Kulanartsiri, Deputy Public Health Minister gave an interview at the Amarin Lagoon Hotel in Phitsanulok Province that she agreed with Deputy Minister of Commerce Alongkorn Polaboot’s notion that import tax on alcoholic drinks and tobacco should not be reduced to 0%. She also viewed that excise tax should be raised for those products to make retail prices high, making them inaccessible items among children and youth.
According to the academic report, prices of Thai alcoholic drinks as compared to the cost of living are lower than in other countries, as beers sold in Thailand are cheaper than an average international price by 2.36 times and rice whisky price cheaper than in other countries by 75%.
Public Health Ministry by Ms Phansiri holds a meeting today in Phitsanulok to clarify four newly issued organic laws under the Alcohol Beverage Control Act B.E. 2551 (2008) for related officials in 17 Northern provinces. Those organic laws include conditions of displayed symbol for advertisement; procedures and forms of caution to appear beside the symbol of alcoholic drinks or producing company in ads; criteria of penalty rate; and authorization of relevant officials in law enforcement.
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