President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has called on tobacco traders to stop selling tobacco products and switch to alternative businesses.
He made these remarks during the second episode of "Rayyithunnaa Eku" [With Citizens], a podcast hosted by the President's Office to engage with the public and promote governance through active consultation.
During the podcast, President Muizzu encouraged people to refrain from smoking and using tobacco products
He said that the primary objective of increasing tobacco prices was to discourage consumption, adding that a gradual tax hike would not effectively reduce usage. Instead, he said that incremental tax hikes would only raise retail prices, ultimately benefiting tobacco traders rather than aiding to curb demand.
Reaffirming his call for traders to shift to alternative businesses, the President stressed that Maldives, with its relatively small population, should not sustain a tobacco industry.
He urged decisive action to eliminate the prevalence of tobacco use in Maldives.
President Muizzu also outlined three potential approaches to implement a Generation Ban on tobacco. The proposals include prohibiting smoking for all individuals born on or after 1 January of either 2000, 2004 or 2007.
He said that a decision would be made after consulting medical professionals and other stakeholders in formulating the policy.
Following the enforcement of the Tobacco Control Act banning the use of vapes in the country on December 15 last year, the total amount of fines related to use vape use exceeded MVR 160,500.
Under the law, using vapes carries a fine of MVR 5,000, while distributing vapes for free results in a fine of MVR 10,000, and selling vapes incurs a fine of MVR 20,000.
Additionally, selling vapes to individuals under 21 results in a fine of MVR 50,000.