Vladimir Kakhadze, First Deputy Chair of the Health Care and Social Issues Committee, held a meeting in the Parliament regarding the excise policy.

Vladimer Kakhadze met with Professor Corné van Walbeek of the University of Cape Town, Director of the Research Unit on the Economics of Excisable Products and Head of the corresponding hub of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. The meeting was also attended by senior representatives and researchers of the Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies — Professor Hana Ross, Dr. Nora Kuengli, and Dr. Biljana Jovanovic.

At the meeting, representatives of the research center reviewed excise tax policies in foreign countries, discussing, among others, the experiences of Turkey, Poland, Kosovo, Romania, and Bulgaria. The guests examined the Georgian side’s position on tobacco excise taxation and shared their own recommendations.

As Lado Kakhadze noted, alongside the numerous restrictions imposed on tobacco, one of the key instruments for reducing its consumption is the establishment of a reasonable excise tax.

“On a product as harmful as tobacco, we have a number of restrictions in the legislation, including plain packaging, advertising limitations, and a ban on its use in public spaces. Along with all this, increasing the excise tax will help reduce the harmful impact of the tobacco industry”, - stated Vladimer Kakhadze.