Maldives President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has called local businesses and traders engaged in the import and sale of tobacco and related products to abandon these activities.
The current government is known for its stringent legal measures at curbing tobacco import and its use in the Maldives. As part of these efforts, the government last year put a complete ban on the import and sale of vapes and its associated products while duty on cigarettes was increased twofold.
While speaking about these measures, President Muizzu in a podcast said the main objective of this was to encourage the public to move away from the use of tobacco and tobacco-based products. He also said that increasing taxes on cigarettes or tobacco products was not the solution, as businesses would continue to import them with and sell it with higher mark-ups.
“I urge the businesses that import and sell cigarettes to let go of these businesses and to seek other ventures,” Muizzu said.