Revised tobacco law at advanced stage—TCC

The process of revising legislation that governs the country’s key cash crop, tobacco is at an advanced stage and will help usher sustainability in the sector, the Tobacco Control Commission (TCC) has said.

TCC chief executive officer Bruce Munthali said last week that the amended Tobacco Act would help the industry, which wires in half of the country’s foreign exchange, adapt to rapid shifts in the global leaf industry.

“The current law has not been addressing challenges brought by rapid changes in the industry such as capacity constraints and technology,” he said, at regulatory impact assessment seminar in Lilongwe.

Munthali said the seminar, hosted by Office of President and Cabinet (OPC) and facilitated by JTI Leaf Malawi Limited came at an opportune time as industry and other players debated amendments to the tobacco law.

At the heart of debate is the Integrated Production System (IPS) which has reduced the volume of tobacco sold through the auction floors.

IPS, a contract system of tobacco growing and marketing, facilitates direct engagement between buyers and growers and also promotes mechanisms for dealing with problems facing grower communities such as food insecurity, deforestation and child labour.

“TCC is positive that IPS is the necessary change we need. There may be divergent views over it, but overall we must encourage debate as it is an essential part of moving industry forward,” said Munthali.

JTI regulatory affairs manager Harold Msusa said the company—ranked the world’s third largest tobacco processor and renowned for its signature Camel cigarettes—organised the seminar in line with its strategy of adding value to the country’s tobacco industry which is undergoing various regulatory and policy reviews.

“We support these ongoing reviews as we believe that they will create reciprocal benefits, not only in the tobacco value chain, but across the economy,” he said.