President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has called on tobacco traders to cease selling tobacco products and transition to alternative businesses. He made these remarks in the second edition of the Rayyithunnaa Eku podcast, an initiative aimed at engaging with the public, fostering closer connections, and promoting governance through active public consultation.
During the podcast, the President encouraged people to refrain from smoking and using tobacco products. He explained that the primary objective of increasing tobacco prices was to discourage consumption, emphasising that gradual tax increases would not effectively reduce usage. Instead, he stated that incremental tax hikes would merely raise retail prices, ultimately benefiting tobacco sellers rather than curbing demand.
Reaffirming his call for traders to shift to alternative businesses, the President stressed that the Maldives, with its relatively small population, should not sustain a tobacco industry. He urged decisive action to eliminate the prevalence of tobacco use in the country.
