FCTC guidelines formulation worry tobacco firm
JTI Leaf (Malawi) Limited has decried the secrecy surrounding the formulation of guidelines under the World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO-FCTC), saying it is one-sided as growers and merchants are not party to them.
Speaking on the sidelines of a press conference last week in Lilongwe, the firm’s head of corporate affairs Harold Msusa said ministers of health and tobacco lobbyists are allowed to attend while tobacco merchants and growers are barred.
tobacco-growers
“We are not against regulations in the tobacco sector, but it could have been good if growers and buyers were part of the discussions so that their side is also heard,” he said.
WHO FCTC is a treaty adopted by the 56th World Health Assembly on May 21 2003. It seeks to give restrictions in the way tobacco and its products are sold.
This is the first WHO treaty adopted under article 19 of the WHO constitution and it came into force on February 27 2005.
The 7th Session of the Conference of Parties (CoP) of the WHO CFTC was held last week in Uttar Pradesh, India.
Asked if they are afraid that the tobacco may face extinction due to the FCTC’s stance, Msusa said the crop has a future as it can be diversified by allowing farmers to reduce the size of their fields so that they grow other crops apart from the leaf.
“As JTI, we cannot push for Malawi to ratify to the FCTC because it is government’s role. There are advantages and disadvantages to ratifying the FCTC but what we want is to have our voice heard in the CoP meeting,” said Msusa.
Currently, Mozambique has joined Zimbwabwe and Zambia to ratify the convention.
When asked whether Malawi sent a delegation to the CoP meeting, Tobacco Control Commission (TCC) deputy chief executive officer David Luka, refused to comment on the matter and referred it to Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development.
A senior official at the ministry confirmed that a team of government officers was in India and made a presentation despite being there as observers.
Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development George Chaponda also confirmed that Malawi sent a team, but asked for time to gather more details.
But public relations officer in the ministry Hamilton Chimala said Malawi is making strides as regards ratifying the FCTC and the fact that a presentation was made in India shows that government is active on the ground.
“Once we are ready to ratify the FCTC, we will make the necessary announcements, but we have always attended the FCTC CoP meetings. If something is good for Malawi it will be accented to,” he said. n
