March 15, Pasay City, Philippines International Tobacco Expo court, a demonstrator holding a poster of children victims of popular cigarette.
Local time on March 15, held in the Philippine capital of Manila, Pasay City (Pasay), a major international tobacco exhibition, the results lead to hundreds of demonstrators containment solar led street lights price.
“Tobacco business to kill people”
The media said that the Philippine President Corazon Aquino III on the tobacco exhibition conveyed the welcome information, he hope that it is conducive to the economic development of the country.
One of the organizers of the protests, Roberto del Rosario, director of FCTC Alliance Philippines “, expressing his dissatisfaction with the government should not allow the exhibition to be held continuously. In its view, tobacco this business. “Kill people”.
Observers believe that the obvious paradox surrounding the tobacco problem: on the one hand, the Philippine government to support legislation by the new tax increase means to promote tobacco control; the other hand, the Philippine government is committed to attracting foreign investment to eliminate severe poverty and unemployment situation, which including foreign investment associated with the tobacco industry.
WHO criticized the exhibition
World Health Organization (WHO), criticized the large international tobacco exhibition held in Manila in March 15, 2009, it “provides a platform for the tobacco industry to sell deadly products in the Philippines and in Asia”. World Health Organization Western Pacific regional director Shin Young-soo (Dr. ShinYoung-soo), the Philippines hosted the international tobacco exhibition contrary to their signature to join the United Nations FCTC. The Convention requires signatories to a complete ban on tobacco promotion, advertising and sponsorship activities solar led street lights price.
The two former senior officials of the Ministry of Finance of the Philippines as well as two former senior officials of the Ministry of Health issued a joint statement claimed that due to the low price of cigarettes and alcoholic products in the Philippines, young people and the poor are encouraged to “smoking and drinking.
In Asia, the Philippines, led high bay the highest smoking rates, cigarette lowest average selling price of about 50 cents per pack. In contrast, Laos average selling price of each pack of cigarettes $ 1, Malaysia, Hong Kong, China and Singapore were $ 3, $ 6 and $ 9.
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“We provide employment opportunities”
A tobacco company CEO dissatisfaction with the Philippine tobacco tax increase plan
Philip Morris the PMFTC tobacco control company in 2010 acquired the wealth of the Philippines local tobacco companies (FortuneTobacco Corp). PMFTC president Krishna Mickelson (ChrisNelson,) said that the tax increase plan (Philippines official) “for no reason.
In an interview for the tobacco companies argued that: “The message is: we provide employment opportunities here (Philippines), the growth prospects for cigarettes and alcoholic products.
Krishna Man delson stressed that the prospects of the Philippine tobacco industry “rejoice” because solar led street lights price more farmers to grow tobacco.
Observers have pointed out that the implementation of more stringent restrictions and tax policies of Western countries on tobacco. As a result, the western tobacco companies sights on the Asian market.