Kerala not to have cigarettes from Apr 16

Kozhikode, Apr 12 (UNI) Cigarettes will disappear from shops in Kerala from April 16 as traders in the state have decided not to sell them in protest against the tobacco-manufacturing companies' reluctance to pay the Value-Added Tax for the products.

A decision to this effect was taken here at a meeting of the 'Vyapari Vyavasayi Ekopana Samithi,' the leading traders body in the state.

Samithi state president T Naseeruddin said the traders would not sell cigarettes as the companies, manufacturing tobacco products, were not prepared to bear the 12.5 per cent VAT levied on them.

He said since the companies were not adhering to the decision that the tax also should be included before fixing the price of the products.

As the companies were not adhering to the decision, the traders would be put to severe hardship as they would not benefit from selling cigarettes at the present price, he added.

UNI