Kenya: BAT Set to Spend Sh100 Million to Comply With Tobacco Act

Source from:  The East African Standard (Nairobi) 13 March 2008 03/13/2008

British American Tobacco (BAT) will spend Sh100 million to comply with the national Tobacco Control Act, which comes into force in four months. The money will be spent on developing new packaging, removal of tobacco related branding on materials in outlets and communication with industry stakeholders. BAT Kenya Managing Director, Mr Nicolas Maistre, said the company is committed to complying with the new law and is undertaking necessary steps as required by July 8. "It was a positive step for the company and the industry in general and we hold the expectation that its implementation will reign in illicit trade as it operates under the radar of regulation," he said. Maistre, who is also the general manager for BAT East Africa, was speaking at a media briefing on the Tobacco Control Act at a Nairobi hotel on Wednesday. Also present was Corporate Affairs for BAT Sub-Saharan Africa Area, Mr Keith Gretton. The Tobacco Control Act assented to by the President last year seeks to ban tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship. It also prohibits the sale of cigarettes to minors and lays out measures to make it more difficult for people under 18 to buy cigarettes, such as banning single stick and vending-machine sales. Maistre said though some of the provisions of the law are harsh while others require more clarification to assist in implementation, it represents a reasonable regulation for the country. The law, he added, also helps in supporting the company's self regulating initiatives which began in 2000 when it introduced The International Marketing Standards and the Youth Smoking Prevention programmes. "These self regulations saw us come out of mass advertising on bill boards, electronic media and sponsoring of events that could appeal to the youth like sports, celebrity shows and campaigns against youth smoking," he said. Gretton dismissed previous accusations that the company hosted Members of Parliament in Mombasa in 2004 to persuade them not to pass the Tobacco Control Bill. He said the company has always supported regulation of the industry and has never at any time sought to influence MPs against any law. "We believe that tobacco companies, like any other stakeholder, should be allowed to articulate their positions during the enactment of laws regarding the industry," said Gretton. Maistre identified some of the challenges still facing the industry as delayed institution of the Tobacco Control Board, expected level of enforcement and ensuring enforcement agencies are properly briefed on the Act. Enditem