Morocco is preparing to increase taxes on shisha and electronic cigarettes to protect public health.
According to reports, the Finance and Economic Development Committee in Morocco has approved a new round of taxes after a vote on Wednesday. The tax will result in consumers paying 675 Moroccan Dirhams (approximately 445 Chinese Yuan) per kilogram of shisha material.
In order to levy a new tax, the government first voted to pass a modification to the 2023 fiscal budget, with the aim of expanding the tax base by including water pipes and electronic cigarettes that do not contain tobacco.
According to a statement reported in a news article, an official spokesperson stated that this measure "aims to protect consumers, particularly young people, by safeguarding them from negative impacts of consumption and addiction to these products, and promoting their overall health.
The statement further explains that the import of smokeless e-cigarettes is tax-free, despite them carrying the same health risks as tobacco-based hookahs.
The decision to increase taxes is based on research from the World Health Organization (WHO), which indicates that smoking products containing fruit and herbal mixes used in hookah present similar risks to tobacco products.
Furthermore, the government has cited recommendations from the World Health Organization to impose similar restrictions and taxes on "smokeless water tobacco" as on tobacco products.
The statement added: "The European Commission classifies these types of products (herbal blends, aromatic herbs, or fruits) as smoking products, similar to other smoking products containing tobacco.
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