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Sunday, October 6, 2024

‘Gunah’ Tax: should that be imposed?

News Desk |

The Federal Government of Pakistan Tehreek-I-Insaf is planning to impose Gunah (Sin) Tax on the sale and purchase of cigarettes and tobacco. The Federal Health Minister Aamir Kiyani on Tuesday said that the new tax would help the government to collect billions that would be injected into the health sector to uplift the development. The government will levy a tax in between Rs.5-Rs.10.

As per the reports, the ambit of ‘Gunah Tax’ will be extended to the carbonated drinks as well. In order to encourage a healthy lifestyle, the imposition of new tax on carbonated drink is anticipated to reduce its consumption. The sources have stated the government is planning to levy Rs.2 PER 100 ml bottle of carbonated beverage.

While the new taxes are levied with the intention to beef up the Federal government‘s national exchequer, the title of Gunah Tax, however, evoked various reactions from the people of Pakistan on social media. From serious to hilarious comments, an outpour of a wide array of reactions was observed on social mediascape of Pakistan.

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Some commentators have raised serious questions on the government’s understanding of Gunah( Sin) including their own minister, Federal Minister for Water Resources, Faisal Vawda who failed to decipher the meaning of Gunah Tax on the purchase of tobacco and cigarette asked if smoking cigarette is a sin, since he himself is a ‘chain smoker’. He said if the smoking cigarette is a sin then what about the actual sins?

They believe products like alcohol and weed that stimulate negative social behavior requires taxation instead of carbonated beverages and tobacco. While others gave a nod to the imposition of a new tax but requested the government to change the title of tax.

https://twitter.com/desidimagh/status/1070241821895340032?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

During this hullabaloo, trolls took a jibe at Pakistani actress Mahira Khan as her pictures smoking with Indian actor Ranbir Kapoor once went viral on social media.

Read more: Heartbreaker? Smoking causing millions of heart attacks, strokes: WHO

A group of commentators unable to decipher the government’s understanding of Sin Tax on tobacco and cigarettes said that soon the government would impose Gunah-e-Kabeera tax on dating and girl’s wearing jeans.

https://twitter.com/AqibArshad_/status/1069998489977921536?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

It seems, that either government should proceed the policy of new taxation with a new title or should offer a coherent statement elaborating the concept of Sin Tax.