Khaberni - Larisa Alwar, the secretary of the No to Smoking Association, said on Sunday: the decision to reduce the special tax on electronic cigarettes and tobacco heating products is considered a "shock," pointing out that the tax reduction affects the rates of smoking uptake.
She added via "Al-Mamlaka" that reducing the tax would encourage young children to smoke, especially since electronic smoking is easier than traditional smoking.
She said that global policies aimed at reducing smoking rates among targeted groups are based on raising prices and taxes on all tobacco and nicotine products.
Jamila Al-Raebi, the representative of the World Health Organization in Jordan, previously said that 80% of the deaths recorded in Jordan are due to chronic diseases related to smoking.
According to Alwar, reducing taxes on smoking is a "mistake," and what needs to be done is to raise the prices and tax on all tobacco and nicotine products to make them expensive.
"Countries around the world have raised taxes on tobacco— when you go to other countries, you find a pack of cigarettes costs 15 dollars or 15 euros, while in Jordan it's a dinar and a half and the most expensive kind reaches up to three dinars," according to Alwar.
The results of the national progressive survey conducted by the Ministry of Health with support from the World Health Organization in 2019 show that 66 percent of males and 17 percent of females consume tobacco products, ranking Jordan among the highest in the world for tobacco use rates.
Issued in the Official Gazette on Sunday, a revised system for the special tax system for the year 2025, for several goods and products related to tobacco heating and electronic cigarettes, to take effect from tomorrow, Monday.
The system amended paragraph four of Article (3) of the original system by canceling the text of paragraph (2) of paragraph (h) and replacing it with a special tax on tobacco heating devices prepared for heating (10000 fils).
The special tax for electronic cigarettes on every one milliliter of electronic cigarettes with liquid (1500 fils), and the tax on electronic cigarettes without liquid (10000 fils) for each device, and the special tax on liquids used in electronic cigarettes (500 fils) for each one milliliter.
Special Tax Reduction
The new amendment shows a reduction of the special tax on tobacco heating devices prepared for heating from (20000 fils) to (10000 fils).
It also reduced the tax on electronic cigarettes with liquids from (5000 fils for every one milliliter) to (1500 fils for every one milliliter), and the reduction of electronic cigarettes without liquids from (15000 fils) to (10000 fils).
It also reduced the liquids used in cigarettes from (1000 fils) to (500 fils).
