By Dilanthi Jayamanne

The Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) yesterday accused Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayke of going against the President’s and the Health Minister’s battle against the tobacco industry by requesting Ceylon Tobacco to donate Rs. 500 million to the Presidential fund to be utilised by the Presidential Task Force for the anti-smoking campaign.

GMOA Assistant Secretary Dr Haritha Aluthge told the media at the GMOA office in Colombo that President Maithripala Sirisena and Health Minister Dr Rajitha Senaratne were both bent on ratifying the WHO Charter on controlling tobacco and smoking.

However, Minister Karunanayake had dealt a blow to their effort, he observed.Dr Aluthge alleged that in previous instances when questions of taxes on tobacco arose there were certain officials in the Finance Ministry itself protecting the interests of the tobacco industry.


The GMOA Assistant Secretary said that the Minister’s proposal was like requesting a brothel owner to provide for funding a campaign against sexually transmitted diseases. It would have been better for the Minister to have increased the taxes on tobacco to help the cause, he said.

Dr. Aluthge said the GMOA would draw the attention of President Sirisena and all relevant authorities to the Finance Minister’s controversial proposal.

Courtesy:The Island