New Delhi, May 12 (ANI): Two of India's major business forums - the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) have joined hands to categorically tell the Centre that there is a serious need to reconsider moves to having 85 per cent pictorial warnings on tobacco products.
Describing this move as being too harsh, the CII and the FICCI have jointly appealed to the NDA government to reconsider its decision and introduce a more balanced view on mandatory graphic health warnings.
Apart from the CII and the FICCI, other leading industry bodies across the nation have written letters to Health and Family Welfare Minister J.P. Nadda and Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to urge them to relax norms to allow manufacturers enough relief to resume production of cigarettes.
In a mail sent to Mr. Nadda, the CII said, ''CII urges the government to look into the matter and ensure that a balanced view on the issues of graphic result health warnings is taken. The government should first take effective steps to curb the illegal trade and production, and then as a second step, address the requisite level of regulation based on the assessment of the prevailing situation.''
In its mail to Sitharaman, the FICCI said, ''In view of this, we would request you to expeditiously resolve the current situation and we do hope our views are given due consideration by your ministry.''
The CII also informed that the world's top five tobacco producing countries, including China, Brazil and the US, which account for 90 per cent of global tobacco production, have average of 20 per cent pictorial warning on packets, while the global average warning size is around 31 per cent.
It also said that the Parliamentary Standing Committee for Health has recommended 50 per cent health warnings on front, as well as back of the packets, and not 85 percent.
