Nigeria: BATN Seeks Balanced Regulation of Tobacco Sector

Source from:  Daily Independent (ng)  07/21/2014

The British American Tobacco Nigeria (BATN) says it is in support of balanced regulation for the tobacco sector.

Speaking during stated the public hearing for the National Tobacco Control Bill at the National Assembly in Abuja, the company's West Africa Director of Corporate and Regulatory Affairs, Freddy Messanvi, said BATN has always supported the passage of a balanced and evidence based  regulation of the tobacco industry in Nigeria.

"Through co-operation between BATN and regulatory agencies, we have achieved reduction in the incidence of illicit trade from over 80 per cent to around 20 per cent today," he said.

He warned that the proposed regulation must not force the legal and regulated businesses out of operation and leave the market at the mercy of smugglers and illicit traders.

In passing the bill, he continued, it is important that trends in other countries where similar legislation has been considered and its implications should be taken into consideration.

The BATN boss further stressed the group's support for various provisions in the bill such as sales of cigarettes to people under the age of 18, but also highlighted areas of concern such as the outright ban of retail sales of tobacco products which will drive the sales underground into the hands of smugglers.

BATN said it is in the interest of all stakeholders to ensure the passage of a balanced, workable and evidence-based bill, just as other stakeholders like Initiative for Public Policy Analysis and the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) in their submissions cautioned that  the legally backed  sector should not be stifled out of operation thereby leaving the citizenry at the mercy of smugglers. According to them this will defeat the purpose that the law is supposed to achieve. Enditem