President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has said the Government has not decided to reduce import duty on cigarettes and has no plans to do so at present.

Speaking at a press conference held at the President’s Office on Monday, President Dr Muizzu reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to building a smoke-free society and said no policy changes would be introduced that could weaken existing public health measures.

He said safeguarding public health remains a key priority of the Government’s healthcare strategy, which focuses on strengthening the national healthcare system and improving access to health services. As part of that strategy, protecting the public from the harmful effects of tobacco use remains an important objective.

President Dr Muizzu noted that the ban on vaping was introduced due to concerns that such products could act as a pathway to drug use, particularly among young people.

He also stressed that the generational tobacco ban was enacted to prevent future generations from taking up smoking and said the Government has no intention of revising the policy.

The President said the Government would continue to closely monitor the impact of tobacco control measures and is consulting with the World Health Organization to further strengthen anti-smoking policies in the Maldives.

He said the purpose of these consultations is to enhance the effectiveness of measures already introduced to reduce tobacco use.

Against this backdrop, President Dr Muizzu said the Government does not currently intend to lower cigarette import duty.

Under the second amendment to the Tobacco Control Act, individuals born on or after 1 January 2007 are permanently prohibited from purchasing and using tobacco products.

The amendment came into force on 1 November last year following a six-month implementation period.

Separate amendments passed last year also raised the legal age for purchasing tobacco products from 18 to 21.