ABBOTTABAD: The Regional Tax Office (RTO) Abbottabad on Tuesday destroyed 439,390 sticks of illegal, non-duty paid, and smuggled cigarettes at Thakara Stadium in Mansehra.
These destroyed cigarettes were valued at approximately Rs16.6 million, which includes sales tax and Federal Excise Duty (FED) totalling Rs7.9 million.
The event was attended by Madam Farhat Qayum, the Chief Commissioner of RTO Abbottabad, who served as the chief guest. Other notable attendees included the Commissioners of Zone-1 and Zone-2, the Additional Commissioner, the Deputy Commissioner of Income Revenue, the Deputy Commissioner of Mansehra, the District Education Officer of Mansehra, and representatives from Civil Defence, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and other departments.
This decisive action by the RTO Abbottabad underscores the government’s commitment to tackling tax evasion and illicit trade, which have been significant challenges in Pakistan. The destruction of these illegal cigarettes is a crucial step in reducing the availability of cheap, smuggled tobacco products that undermine the government’s efforts to control tobacco use and generate revenue.
