LATEST ALERTS
Vietnam: The Ministry of Finance is pushing ahead with a 50% import tax on e-cigarettes and e-liquids, despite criticism from other ministries, press
Philippines: Following finance secretary Ralph Recto’s proposal to ban disposable vapes and the support of the Department of Health, two senators (out of 24),
Philippines: The Department of Health (DOH) has expressed support for finance secretary Ralph Recto’s proposal to ban disposable vapes, adding that all vapes should be
Kyrgyzstan: President Sadyr Japarov has reportedly signed a law that provides a sanction regime for violating the requirements of the Tobacco Act, adjusting the current
Israel: The Tax Authority reported that it thwarted a smuggling attempt involving 33,000 e-cigarettes, worth approximately ILS17m ($4.7m) in unpaid taxes.
Iran: Jafar Jandaghi, head of the Environment and Occupational Health Centre of the Ministry of Health, told local press that the ban on e-cigarettes
Philippines: The government is considering banning disposable vapes due to unregulated sales, tax evasion and health risks, press reports. Finance secretary Ralph Recto said: “Most,
Israel: As part of the 2024 budget plan, yesterday (3rd March) the tax authority announced an increase in the excise duty on e-liquids and disposable
Philippines: The House of Representatives' Committee on Ways and Means has asked the Department of Trade and Industry and the Bureau of Internal
Southeast Asia: Today, director of the World Health Organization (WHO) South-East Asia region Saima Wazed called on countries to intensify efforts to control
Israel: Tomorrow, 16th February, the Knesset (parliament) Finance Committee will discuss the 2024 budget plan presented by the Ministry of Finance. According to press reports, a
Malaysia: Wan Saiful Wan Jan, member of parliament (MP) for the opposition party Perikatan Nasional (PN), has reportedly urged the government to issue the
Kazakhstan: The Smoking Market Association has asked the authorities not to ban vaping products but to tighten the current legal framework instead, media reports.
Turkey: First Lady Emine Erdoğan has tweeted against the use of heated tobacco and e-cigarettes, saying that these products are hazardous not only to
Philippines: A bill to regulate the manufacture and export of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco was filed in the House of Representatives by Joey Salceda, of
Iraq: The Nineveh health directorate of the Ministry of Health issued an order prohibiting the entry of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products onto
US - Federal: Republican representatives Rob Wittman of Virginia and Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois wrote a letter to US Food and Drug Administration
Philippines: The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has identified numerous non-compliant physical and online vape shops. Between February 2023 and January 2024, 296 physical
Kyrgyzstan: Another bill seeking to completely ban e-cigarettes in Kyrgyzstan has been sent for public discussion, media reports. It is not the first attempt to
Israel: Tomorrow (6th February), the Knesset Economic Committee will meet to discuss a bill that would place further advertising and packaging restrictions on tobacco
Saudi Arabia: The Saudi Health Council, a Ministry of Health-affiliated institution, has issued a warning on social media against using tobacco products due to
Vietnam: The state-owned corporation Vietnam Tobacco Corporation (Vinataba) – which has a monopoly on commercial tobacco and cigarette imports and is the only company
Kyrgyzstan: The Ministry of Health intends to amend the sanctions regime for tobacco and vaping products, including for violations of public use requirements,
Thailand: At a seminar this week on e-cigarettes, the director general of the Department of Disease Control, Thongchai Keeratihatthayakorn, said e-cigarettes are widely
Lebanon: Nassif Seklaoui, general manager of the Lebanese Tobacco and Tombacs Authority (RLTT), spoke during a conference against raising the taxation on tobacco
Kazakhstan: The Mazhilis (lower chamber of parliament) has adopted a bill prohibiting the import, production, and sale of vapes, media reports. The bill will now be considered
Pakistan: The province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has become the first province to ban the sale of e-cigarettes, regardless of nicotine content, to under-21s,
Israel: Finance minister Belazel Smotrich has amended the 2024 budget plan and removed the section concerning a tax increase for e-cigarettes, press reports. The
Israel: The Finance Ministry has submitted its 2024 budget plan to the cabinet. The plan outlines revenue-increasing measures to address a projected deficit
Philippines: As of 4th January 2024, vaping and heated tobacco products are now included in the list of consumer goods subjected to mandatory certification to
Philippines: As of 1st January 2024, the tax on e-liquids has increased by 5% to PHP63.50 ($1.14) per 10 ml for conventional freebase
Oman: The Consumer Protection Authority has issued decree 756/2023, raising administrative fines for using or distributing e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products. The minimum
Pakistan: The health organisations Blue Veins and Provincial Alliance for Sustainable Tobacco Control have asked Haji Ghulam Ali, the governor of the province
Indonesia: As recorded in our compliance calendar, the applicable tax on e-cigarettes increased on 1st January 2024. It is now IDR636 ($0.04) per
Global: Several EU and international markets will see a rise in vapour taxes on 1st January 2024, including Germany, Indonesia, Russia and Estonia.
Thailand: The Department of Disease Control has issued a warning to the public to quit vaping because of its addictiveness and harmful effects on
Malaysia: In late November, Parliament passed the Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Bill 2023, which creates a regulatory framework for e-cigarettes
Kazakhstan: Several members of the Mazhilis (lower chamber of the Parliament) have proposed an amendment prohibiting tobacco companies in Kazakhstan from engaging in
Kyrgyzstan: Yesterday (4th December), a bill to ban e-cigarettes in Kyrgyzstan was presented at a meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on Social Policy,
Philippines: The chairperson of the House of Representatives' Ways and Means Committee, Joey Salceda, has asked the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to verify
Kuwait: Deputy prime minister Essa Al-Kandari’s letter requesting the urgent ratification of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Unilateral Tax Agreement was not discussed during
Kuwait: Today, the National Assembly will discuss deputy prime minister Essa Al-Kandari’s request for the urgent ratification of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Unilateral
Turkey: Ömer Bolat, the minister of trade, tweeted that the Customs Enforcement team affiliated with the Ministry of Commerce seized a total of 275,520
Kazakhstan: According to a Ministry of Health representative, the ministry has developed a bill seeking to ban the circulation of e-cigarettes. The bill is
Vietnam: The Ministry of Finance has invited public comments on a draft decree that would impose a 50% import tax on e-cigarette devices and e-liquids.
Jordan: Prime minister Bisher Al-Khasawneh issued a decision to enforce compliance with law 47/2008 on Public Health prohibiting smoking, vaping and heated tobacco use in
Philippines: The House Ways and Means Committee will investigate e-cigarette brand Flava for possible tax evasion and tax fraud following a warehouse raid that uncovered
South Korea: The Tobacco Harmful Ingredients Disclose Bill was signed into law by the Cabinet on 31st October. The bill obliges manufacturers and importers
