2008 National Tobacco Work Conference Held in Beijing

Source from:  tobacco.gov.cn 01/23/2008

The tobacco industry of China held its 2008 annual national tobacco work conference in Beijing on January 16, to make arrangements for the fulfillment of tasks for tobacco manufacturing and marketing in 2008 on the basis of summing up the work in 2007, with the focus on setting reform and development targets and tasks for the present and over a future period of time. In an address to the conference, Ou Xinqian, deputy director of the National Development and Reform Commission, put forward a six-point requirement for the operation of China's tobacco industry in 2008: Firstly, greater attention should be paid to scientific development of the tobacco industry. Secondly, greater attention should be paid to macro-control over development of the tobacco industry. Thirdly, greater attention should be paid to shifting the way of economic growth of the tobacco industry. Fourthly, greater attention should be paid to the strengthening of independent innovation. Fifthly, greater attention should be paid to the conservation of energy and reduction of emissions. Sixthly, greater attention should be paid to well making the various preparations for the fulfillment in China of the World Health Organization's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. Also speaking at the conference, Jiang Chengkang, director-general of the State Tobacco Monopoly Administration (STMA), delivered a working report on behalf of the leadership of the STMA, to sum up the work of the tobacco industry in 2007 in terms of tobacco production and marketing, reform, internal supervision and control, supervision and control over tobacco monopoly, independent innovation and human resources development. In 2007, the tobacco industry of China produced and sold 2.1 trillion cigarettes (42 million cases), an increase of 5 percent year-on-year. At the end of 2007, the cigarette inventories held by the manufacturing and commercial sectors of the tobacco industry reached 122 billion cigarettes (2.24 million cases). In the year, the tobacco industry generated 388 billion yuan (53 billion U.S. dollars) in manufacturing and commercial taxes and profits, a sharp increase of 25 percent year-on-year. The number of existing cigarette brands in China stood at 173 in 2007, down 53 from the previous year. The Top Ten cigarette brands covered 37 percent of all cigarette products in China in the year, up 5 percent year-on-year. In 2007, there were 13 Chinese cigarette brands each with an annual cigarette output of over 50 billion cigarettes (1 million cases). The average tar level in cigarettes manufactured in China declined to a low of 13.2mg per cigarette in the year. In 2007, the consumption of energy per 10,000 yuan (1,370 U.S. dollars) in output value on the part of the tobacco industry of China was 43.2 kilograms, down 21.3 percent from the level of 2005. Enditem