PANAH concerned over awarding contract to tobacco industry backed firm.

Islamabad -- Pakistan National Hearth Association (PANAH) on Saturday expressed concerns over awarding of track and trace system contract to the tobacco industry backed firm.

Anti-tobacco activist, secretary general PANAH Sanaullah Ghuman said that tobacco industry once again has tricked the government and remained successful in awarding the track and trace system contract to its favoured company. 'PANAH condemned this decision,' he said. Ghuman said that multinational tobacco industry allegedly gave Rs150 billion damage to national exchequer by avoiding the tax and now again mistakes are being repeated. He said that awarding of track and trace system contract to multinational backed company will not only cause damage to national exchequer but also increase expenditure on health. He said that the said company has already worked with multinational tobacco companies and it will not maintain transparency.

'An international reputable company was disqualified on technical grounds by FBR to favour this company which will likely dance on the tunes of multinational tobacco industry,' he said. Ghuman said that it will increase the chances of tempering the system of tax collection on multinational tobacco companies. He also said that the track and trace system if transparently awarded and implemented would monitor and control the production of multinational tobacco companies to cap the smuggled...