Tobacco and tobacco consumption seriously affect public health and annually take thousands of lives of citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina. On this year’s World No Tobacco Day the message is clear: we must limit the impact of tobacco on human health, is stated by the EUD/Office of the EU Special Representative in BiH for World No Tobacco Day.
One lesson of the Covid-19 pandemic is how fragile our health is. And with that, it has made us more aware of the many risks in our surroundings that endanger our well-being. One of them surely being consumption of tobacco products.
The European Union has set a very clear objective – to create a smoke-free generation in Europe, where less than 5% of people use tobacco by 2040. Considering that overall smoking prevalence among adults in Bosnia and Herzegovina is over 40 percent, legislative and other effective measures in tobacco control are urgently required.
Thus, we urge all the relevant authorities in BiH to ensure adoption of legislation in the area of tobacco control aligned with EU acquis and to fulfil the long pending EU recommendation, on ratification of the protocol eliminating illicit trade in tobacco. Once adopted, we expect full enforcement of all measures.
The Indirect Taxation Authority (ITA) has launched a public campaign “Stop Smuggling”, whose goal is to enable all citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) who have any information about the evasion of indirect taxes and illegal trade in goods, especially tobacco products, to report it to the number 080 02 06 07.
In this year’s “Stop Smuggling” campaign, citizens can also send a photo and location where cigarettes and tobacco are illegally sold to Viber number 065 355 155 so that the authorized ITA officers on duty can perform a field check in real–time.
Last year’s action by the ITA, the “Stop Smuggling” resulted in a large number of calls and submitted information, many of which were useful, on the basis of which field activities were carried out, and excise goods that were sold contrary to legal regulationsmanaged to be found and confiscated.
Regarding customs fraud on the Internet and cybercrime, the ITA recognized this issue and determined in the Work Plan that it will pay special attention to undertaking actions, measures,and activities aimed at investigating, detecting, preventing, and prosecuting these criminal activities regarding illegalities with indirect taxation. In this regard, ITA officials monitor the websites and social networks where illegally produced tobacco products are sold.
“Revenues from indirect taxes (VAT, excise, customs, and tolls) are of the greatest importance for the overall fiscal stability of the whole of BiH. The money collected from indirect taxes mostly finances health, education, road infrastructure, various social benefits, and like. As of today, the ITA has collected 3 billion and 755 million BAM, which is 672 million or 22 percent more than in the same period last year,” it was mentioned by the ITA, Klix.bawrites.
E.Dz.
