Oman mulls unhealthy-products tax

A tax on unhealthy products such as tobacco, fast food and soft drinks had to be introduced in Oman soon, the country’s Minister of Health Dr Ahmed Mohammed Al Saidi has told the Times of Oman.

The minister was speaking on the sidelines of the GCC [Gulf Co-operation Council] Cancer Awareness Week press conference on Sunday. His comments follow reports of a ‘dramatic’ rise in the number of lung cancer cases in Oman.

The Times, quoting the Kuwait News Agency, reported that in November GCC governments had agreed to impose a unified tax of 100 per cent on ‘tobacco and related products’.

Dr Jawad Al Lawati, senior consultant and rapporteur of the National Tobacco Control Committee at the Ministry of Health, said that such taxes had not been implemented yet, but that they should be imposed in Oman as early as possible because cigarette prices in Oman were lower than they were in other countries.

Lung cancer, a disease mainly associated with smokers, is expected to become the most common cancer in Oman in the next five years, said Dr. Basim Al Bahrani, director of oncology and head of medical oncology at the Royal Hospital.

At the moment, according to the ministry, cancer is the third leading cause of death in Oman after traffic accidents and heart disease.

Meanwhile, the Public Authority for Consumer Protection has recently banned the sale of electronic cigarettes and electronic shisha.