BAT Wants New Tobacco Rules Reviewed

Source from:  KBC 05/06/2015

Cigarette manufacturer British American Tobacco (BAT) has asked the government to loosen its stand on the looming implementation of new tobacco regulations and allow negotiations on some of the rules the company terms alarming.

This comes in the wake of a new set of regulations scheduled to come into force as from June 1st 2015 barring Cigarette manufacturers, distributors and importers from placing brand names or trademarks on cigarette packages and wrappers.

Addressing journalists in Nairobi Tuesday, BAT Managing Director Chris Burrell said that no manufacturer in Kenya has received the artworks of technical specifications concerning the implementation of new regulations.

He added that no company is capable of meeting the implementation deadline.

The MD said that the company has tabled its submissions to the relevant government organ and will seek legal action if the flaws in the regulations are not amended.

According to the new Tobacco Control Regulations 2014 published by the Ministry of Health late last year, the cigarette packages will instead carry health warnings and pictograms on the front and back respectively.