Gov't Proposes Ten-fold Hike In Vape Taxes, To RM4 Per ml

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 7 (Bernama) -- The Ministry of Health (MOH has proposed a ten-fold hike in taxes on e-cigarette or vape liquid, from 40 sen to RM4 per millilitre (ml).

Deputy Health Minister Datuk Lukanisman Awang Sauni said the proposal has been submitted to the Ministry of Finance (MOF) to align taxes for vape products with those of conventional tobacco products.

He explained that to align the taxes, the ministry is equating a standard cigarette pack with 2ml of vape liquid, as both provide roughly 200 puffs.

“The proposed rate of RM4 per ml ensures that the tax levied on this equivalent amount is on par with that of a pack of cigarettes,” he responded to a supplementary question from Wan Saiful Wan Jan (PN-Tasek Gelugor) during the question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat today. 

The MP had inquired whether MOH would propose a vape tax hike, similar to tobacco products, potentially through the 2026 Budget as an immediate measure ahead of a potential outright ban on vape products.

Simultaneously, Lukanisman announced that a proposal for a complete ban on vapes s expected to be presented to the Cabinet this year to secure policy approval.

"We will be submitting a memorandum to the Cabinet to consider a full prohibition and to establish the policy groundwork for banning these vape products," he told Capt (Rtd) Datuk Dr. Zulkafperi Hanapi (Tanjong Karang), who had queried why the MOH, as the primary agency for public health, had not yet imposed a nationwide ban on vaping.

Lukanisman further revealed that a previous Regulatory Impact Analysis conducted by the ministry estimated that RM244.8 million has already been spent to treat E-Cigarette or Vaping Product Use-Associated Lung Injury (EVALI).

He warned that if the situation continues unchecked, treatment costs for the illness could soar to between RM300 million and RM400 million by 2030.

He also emphasised that a full ban on vaping aligns with the approach taken by several other ASEAN nations, including Brunei, Singapore and Laos.

"We should move towards a complete ban, as other ASEAN countries have done. Rather than fighting a war on two fronts against both cigarettes and vapes, it is more effective to eliminate or ban one of these harmful products now," he concluded. 

-- BERNAMA