Govt yet to set minimum price for cigarettes
PUTRAJAYA: The government has yet to fix the minimum retail price for cigarettes as it was still being discussed with related ministries, producers and manufacturers. As such, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek denied a newspaper report claiming his ministry had set the minimum retail price for a pack of cigarettes at RM5.
The ministry is also studying a proposal for the government to fix a different minimum price for a pack of locally produced cigarettes from that of imported ones, he told reporters after presenting the ministry’s 2006 excellent service awards yesterday. “Whatever decision made, we will make sure the prices will not be too high as it might encourage smuggling and not too low as it would promote smoking.
“We may need two more months to arrive at a decision,” he said. On the Cabinet’ decision to ban fast food companies from sponsoring children TV programmes, he said the ministry and its agencies had deliberated on the matter with the companies concerned and advertising agencies.
“We are aware they (fast food companies) might have entered into contracts to sponsor certain programmes for a stipulated period. We can only enforce the rules once the contracts ended,” he said. Dr Chua said Health Ministry was also in the process of enforcing the labelling fast food products and it could be implemented by year-end.
“Food labelling can educate consumers on the content of fast food products in terms of their calories, fat and sugar,” he said, adding at present consumers were in the dark over of their content.
—Bernama
The ministry is also studying a proposal for the government to fix a different minimum price for a pack of locally produced cigarettes from that of imported ones, he told reporters after presenting the ministry’s 2006 excellent service awards yesterday. “Whatever decision made, we will make sure the prices will not be too high as it might encourage smuggling and not too low as it would promote smoking.
“We may need two more months to arrive at a decision,” he said. On the Cabinet’ decision to ban fast food companies from sponsoring children TV programmes, he said the ministry and its agencies had deliberated on the matter with the companies concerned and advertising agencies.
“We are aware they (fast food companies) might have entered into contracts to sponsor certain programmes for a stipulated period. We can only enforce the rules once the contracts ended,” he said. Dr Chua said Health Ministry was also in the process of enforcing the labelling fast food products and it could be implemented by year-end.
“Food labelling can educate consumers on the content of fast food products in terms of their calories, fat and sugar,” he said, adding at present consumers were in the dark over of their content.
—Bernama
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