Tazeen Akhtar
Pakistan National Heart Association PANAH has successfully convinced the Government to increase of excise taxes on all solid and liquid ultra-processed products and sugary drinks in the Finance Bill 2024-25 to address the growing disease burden in Pakistan.Ultra-processed food and beverage products are being particularly high in sugar, salt and/or trans-fats. Increasing taxes on these products is an evidence based strategy to reduce their consumption and the associated health risks. It is another feather in the cap of PANAH after getting the sign of “Tobacco is injurious to health” enlarged on cigarette packets.
PANAH delegation had a meeting with Minister Finance Mohammad Aurangzeb in his office on 04 June. President PANAH Maj Gen R Masood ur RehmanKiyani led the delegation that was consisted of Dr Nisaar Cheema MNA, Mr. Munawar Hussain, country coordinator at Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI) and Dr Wajid. Minister appreciated the efforts of PANAH for the noble cause of health of the public and assured to do the needful in the budget.
It means if the industry can not take the finance ministry away from this commitment, the rates of ultra processed food and sugary drinks are expected to rise in the budget that is necessary to keep the public especially the youth away from these disease oriented items.
PANAH has held a pre-budget seminar with stakeholders at local hotel the same day when the Finance Minister called the meeting. Members of National Assembly Ms Mahjabeen Imtenan from Bahawalpur, Ms Ghazalah from Chitral and Dr Shaista Jadoon from Haripur graced the session with their attendance.
The officials, from Law Ministry Mr. Javed,from FBR Mr. Khattak, from Health Ministry Mr. Janjua were also present. The representative from Pakistan Science Foundation also took part in the discussion.
Dr Wajid , a member of the delegation to meeting with FM briefed the participants about the details of the meeting in English language while all the guests were Pakistanis and the information he was about to share should have been clearly conveyed in the national language.
Anyway , he shared that FM heard our case with attention and assured his cooperation. As he said, the FM has become the advocate of PANAH.
President PANAH Mr. Kiyani in his keynote address shed light on the access use of sugar, meat, cooking oil including vegetable oil. He said house wives should cut their use to 50%. This will save the money as well as the health of their family.
President PANAH discouraged the use of food that comes in packing. He said that we have to keep Food Panda type supplies away from our public.
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Women parliamentarians pledged to take the message of PANAH to the masses. They expressed their support and solidarity with PANAH. They assured that they will raise their voice in the assembly against tobacco and sugary drinks.
Interestingly at the same time, Ms Ghazalah from Chitral said that production of Cannabis (BHANG) should be encouraged in her territory. She said that an Australian told her that Cannabis is used in the production of medicine in his country. She lamented that in Pakistan its production has been destroyed.
(Cannabis, also known as marijuana or weed among other names, is a psychoactive drug from the cannabis plant. Native to Central or South Asia, the cannabis plant has been used as a drug for both recreational and entheogenic purposes and in various traditional medicines for centuries. In Pakistan the idea of production and export of Cannabis BHANG was brought by PTI government of Imran Khan but majority of the people in Pakistan take BHANG as narcotics item only)
Dr Shaista Jadoon said that in our Abbotabad region, there are many education systems in which the students mostly use sugary drinks. She announced to visit the schools and beware the students about the hazardous effects of these drinks on their health.
The speakers Col. Dr. Shakeel Ahmed Mirza, Sanaullah Ghumman, Dr Saba Amjad shared that non-communicable diseases are alarmingly on the rise in Pakistan. 1100 people dying daily due to diabetes and its complications, over 300 limbs removed every day. Pakistan has 3rd highest burden of people living with diabetes with 33 million diabetics, apart from this 10 million people are pre-diabetic.
Speakers warned that without immediate policy action number of people living with diabetes will increase to 62 million by 2045. Consumption of If modifiable risk factors of these diseases are controlled, the spread of these diseases can be reduced to a great extent.
This measure will not only reduce health issues but also generate additional government revenue, which should be allocated to public health programs and subsidies for healthier alternatives like fruits, vegetables, lentils, and unsweetened milk.
Policymakers must reject the tactics of beverage industry to mislead them on the name of investment. These tactics of the beverage industry which is not in the interest of peoples of Pakistan, neither for economy of the country. Government must reject any such investment plan that adds miseries by building a huge burden on the health sector and hence, economy of the country.
Maj. Gen. (R) Masud Ur Rehman Kiyani said that in Pakistan one person suffers a heart attack every one and a half minute. Other non-communicable diseases are also at an alarming rise. If modifiable risk factors of these diseases are controlled, there will be a significant decrease in these diseases.
Unhealthy diet like ultra-processed foods and beverage products are among the major reasons of these diseases due to very high amount of sugar, sodium and trans-fats. Government shall take the immediate policy measures to control the consumption of these unhealthy foods.
Dr Saba Amjad shared the presentation of Mr. Munawar Hussain. She said that the cost of management of diabetes has increased to more than $2640 million in Pakistan in 2021. The annual cost of managing diabetes is double than what Pakistan is asking to IMF annually for the new program.
While referring to a World Bank study about Pakistan, she said If government increases 50% federal excise duty on all sugary drinks, it will bring health gain of 8500 DALYs, economic value of USD 8.9 million to public health and USD 810 million average annual tax revenue for the next ten years.
Col. Dr. Shakeel Ahmed Mirza said that Sugary drinks and juices are among the major risk factors of diabetes, heart diseases, cancer, kidney failure and other chronic diseases. Government must deal this on war footings and do all possible measure to control the modifiable risk factors of these diseases.
Mr. Sanaullah Ghumman said that the beverage industry has low taxes in Pakistan as compared to many countries regionally and globally. For example, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, UAE and other gulf states have imposed 50% excise duty on sodas and 100 % on energy drinks. Even India has a higher tax on beverage industry than Pakistan which includes 40% tax in total. Maldives imposed $2.25 litter levy on each litter of beverage.
Speakers also spoke emphasized policymakers to prioritize public health over corporate interests and increase taxes on ultra-processed food and beverage products in Finance Bill 2024-25 for the interest of public health.
Media and Press representatives also participated in the session. All the stake holders were invited from the stage to share their views but no Media person could get this opportunity. Moreover the Parliamentarians sitting on the stage were recommending social media to be used to spread the message of PANAH. This was deeply felt and disliked by the journalists.
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