THE 15% import duty imposed on nicotine gum products should be lowered or exempted as the products help smokers quit smoking, said Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.

The Health Ministry has received many complaints on the introduction of import duty from pharmacies that import nicotine gum products and will raise the issue with the Customs Department and treasury, he added.

A news portal reported that the Customs Department will impose a 15% import duty on every kilogramme of nicotine gum from June 1. Nicotine gum is a medical product used by smokers to help them quit smoking.

In a related development, 28,835 premises were inspected during the enforcement of smoking bans at public places from early January to March 15.

Khairy said the Health Ministry has issued 13,437 notices under the Control of Tobacco Regulations 2004 for smoking in banned areas and underage smoking as of April 6. – Bernama, April 22, 2022.