According to Kazakh media kursiv8 reported on the 14th, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Health of Kazakhstan announced their reasons for supporting the ban on electronic cigarettes. Both the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Health believe that e-cigarettes will affect people’s health, especially the younger generation, and therefore support a ban on e-cigarettes.
The consumption tax brings in considerable budget revenue
Earlier, the government of Kazakhstan decided to completely ban e-cigarettes and vaping products, which will take effect in 2024 if the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan finally approves the amendment to the Health Law.
The proposed ban was supported by two ministries, with the Ministry of Finance stating that nicotine-containing vapes have been a GST commodity since 2018. In addition, tax rates have been increasing over the past three years:
Until 2020, the consumption tax rate for liquids will be 0 tenge/ml;
From 2020, the consumption tax rate will be 5 tenge/ml;
From 2022 to 2023, the consumption tax rate will be 8 tenge/ml;
From 2023, the consumption tax rate will be 53 tenge/ml.
The total excise tax for 2020 will be 17 million tenge, 29 million tenge in 2021, 211 million tenge in 2022 and 680 million tenge in the first eight months of 2023.
Despite a solid increase in budget revenue, the Ministry of Finance supports the call for a ban on e-cigarettes and vaping oil.
“Teens and young adults often choose e-cigarettes, mainly due to their design, variety of flavors and small size. The use of e-cigarettes affects people’s health, especially the younger generation, so the Treasury supports a ban on e-cigarettes.”
Worried that history might repeat itself
According to a study conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2022, 9.8% of 11-15 year olds in Kazakhstan regularly use e-cigarettes.
They believe that e-cigarettes are very harmful to health because they contain “unknown chemicals” and “large amounts” of nicotine. The respiratory system, cardiovascular system, gastrointestinal system will be affected, electronic cigarettes can also lead to infertility. Despite these hazards, e-cigarette consumption in the country is still growing at a high rate.
Fearing a repeat of what happened in the United States, the health ministry said in a statement that users contained “10 times more nicotine and thousands of unknown chemicals.”
“Sellers violated the no-display rules by making e-cigarettes colorful in appearance and placing them in children’s line of sight, near candy at the checkout counter, which stimulated sales to teenagers. Economically and geographically, it’s available at a reasonable price at almost any retail store, the nearest grocery store.”
On the web portal “Open NPA “, the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Kazakhstan published a document in which it wrote about amendments to the Law on Citizens’ health, including the ban on e-cigarettes.
The document proposes imprisonment of up to three years for importing, manufacturing, purchasing, selling, transporting e-cigarettes and vaping fluids, and a fine of 25 MRP (86,250 tenge) for illegally trading goods that are prohibited or restricted by law.
On July 29, members of the Kazakhstan inter-ministerial committee voted almost unanimously to impose a total ban on the sale, import, export and manufacture of e-cigarettes in Kazakhstan.
References:
【1】В Минздраве и Минфине объяснили, почему выступают за запрет вейпов в Казахстане