Govt urged to negotiate regulatory framework, taxes and GEG
SHAH ALAM - The government is advised to negotiate with relevant industry players to formulate a taxation system, regulations, and Generational Endgame (GEG) policies before making any decisions.
The Malaysian Vape Chamber of Commerce (MVCC) secretary general, Ridhwan Rosli, said regulations and tax rates need to be balanced as they will impact local industry players.
"MVCC disapproves of GEG's proposal to ban vape products as it will affect local businesses in the long term, which are currently worth RM2.49 billion," he said in a statement today.
The Malaysian Vapers Alliance (MVA) also voiced its disappointment over the government's move to support the false perception that vaping and smoking are the exact same.
Its president, Khairil Azizi Khairuddin, said GEG's vaping policy was seen as an attempt to prevent smokers from switching to less harmful alternatives.
"Various independent scientific evidences worldwide have proven that vaping has a much lower health risks compared to smoking cigarettes.
"Additionally, vaping has also helped many smokers to quit smoking cigarettes, and there are countries such as the United Kingdom and New Zealand that support the idea that vaping is a less harmful product.
"All this scientific evidence should not be ignored, so MVA urges the government to do a comprehensive assessment before making any further decisions," he said.
Meanwhile, the Malaysia Retail Electronic Cigarette Association (MRECA) viewed the announcement of taxation on vape products with nicotine as a positive step to pave the way for regulations in the vape industry.
MRECA president Datuk Adzwan Ab Manas explained that any vape products that were taxed were seen as a less harmful product than tobacco.
"The tax rate should not be too high, and they have to consider the market's dynamics as it will cause an increase in price and thus encourage consumers to look for a cheaper product that is not regulated.
"Regulations must also be introduced quickly to complete the taxation framework, which can be done by amending existing laws to include vape products," he said.
