After November 15, the duty on vapes will rise further, and President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has announced a ban on the sale and use of vapes starting December 15, with instructions to relevant authorities to take action on November 14.
The government has proposed an amendment to increase the duty on vapes imported between November 1 and November 15.
After November 15, the duty on vapes will rise further, and President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has announced a ban on the sale and use of vapes starting December 15, with instructions to relevant authorities to take action on November 14.
The amendment, proposed by Machangolhi North MP Ibrahim Mohamed on behalf of the government, seeks to increase the duty on vapes imported during the lead up to the ban on electronic cigarettes and related devices under the Tobacco Control Act.
The amendment includes a 50 percent tax on electronic tobacco products and a charge of MVR 8 per sticker. It also calls for an MVR 8 fee for flavors and chemicals added to tobacco products.
According to the bill, the changes will not result in additional state expenditure, but are expected to increase revenue from import duties by an estimated MVR 1.5 million next year.
Attorney General Ahmed Usham said that the amendment aims to raise the duty on vape products from November 1 and ban their import after November 15.
"The proposed amendment is to increase the duty on vape products from November 1 to November 15, 2024," Usham said in a tweet.
The ban marks one of the toughest anti-smoking measures taken by the Maldivian government in recent years.
The import duty on tobacco products will be increased to MVR 8 starting next month, along with stricter measures to prevent smoking in public places. This includes raising the specific import duty on cigarettes from MVR 3 to MVR 8.
The NCD Alliance, the Doctors and Nurses Association, and various sports associations have also urged President Muizzu to ban the import of vapes into the Maldives, citing the serious public health risks they pose.
President Muizzu has taken firm action against tobacco use. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that approximately 150 people die each year in the Maldives from diseases directly caused by smoking, a significant figure for a population of less than 400,000.
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