WHO calls on Cambodia to raise tobacco taxes to curb smoking harm

The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Cambodia Movement for Health (CMH), a non-governmental organization, urged the Ministry of Economy and Finance to raise tobacco taxes at a joint seminar held yesterday at the Royal Academy of Cambodia in Phnom Penh.

Cambodia currently imposes a low tax rate of 25% on domestically produced cigarettes and 31% on imported cigarettes, which, they said, makes cigarettes cheaper and encourages young people to take up smoking.

WHO technical officer Yel Daravuth said yesterday that increasing tobacco taxes is the most effective way to reduce tobacco use and smoking-related deaths.

He added: "Higher tobacco taxes can also increase government revenue without having any negative impact on poor households. On the contrary, they will improve public health by preventing young people from starting to smoke."

He said that according to a WHO case study, if the price of a pack of cigarettes were increased by 500 riel now, at least 30,000 people could be prevented from smoking next year.

He also said this would prevent 10,000 deaths over the next 10 years, while generating about $53 million in annual revenue for the government.

CMH Executive Director Mom Kong said tobacco causes more than 15,000 deaths in Cambodia each year.

Kong said a public survey conducted in 2020 by the National University of Management showed that participants suggested raising tobacco prices by 62% to encourage people to quit smoking.

Sin Sovann, deputy director of the Center for Public Health, said the number of smokers increased to 1.63 million in 2021, compared with 1.47 million in 2011.

Van Puthipol, secretary of state at the Ministry of Economy and Finance, said tobacco product taxes are currently 20% lower than those in other ASEAN countries and other parts of the world. He added that the ministry will consider the possibility of raising taxes and auditing cigarette factories.