Cabinet decides against importing cigarettes from China

Health Minister Dr Rajitha Senaratne says that the Cabinet of Ministers today decided to suspend the import of cigarettes from China, which had been proposed previously.

He said that the matter was extensively discussed during the Cabinet meeting and that the Finance Minister had stated that legalizing the import of cigarettes from China would provide the country with massive tax revenue.

The minister said that Sri Lanka signed the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) in 2017 and that the country has received the WHO award for tobacco control on three occasions.
 
He said that Sri Lanka has fulfilled 20 out of the 22 pledges in the WHO FCTC and that these achievements and the programme should not be reversed by allowing the import of cigarettes from China.

Senaratne said that President Maithripala Sirisena, who has received international awards in recognition of his anti-tobacco stance, expressed his views on the matter during the Cabinet meeting.

Accordingly, the Finance Minister decided to suspend the import of cigarettes from China, he said.