Meet discusses illegal trade of cigarettes

One of the initiatives that the Government has put in place which British American Tobacco (BAT PNG) highly commends is to set up an anti-illicit trade taskforce to combat the illegal trade of cigarettes in Papua New Guinea.
BAT PNG Ltd external affairs manager David Towe, in his presentation on Illegal trade in tobacco products: The Tobacco Industry’s experience at the sub-committee on customs procedures dialogue in Port Moresby, highlighted a few recommendations to combat the illegal trade of cigarettes.
The dialogue was part of cluster of meetings in the Apec third senior officials’ meeting (SOM3) currently underway in Port Moresby.
According to Towe, there was work to be done between business and Government to review penalty provisions that applied with the laws that regulated international trade across the board.
“The trademark infringement is a key one,” he said.
“Our trademark is our business. Business rely on their trademark to do their business and we expect Government to protect our trademark. BAT, as the major manufacturer and distributor of tobacco in PNG, believes that one-third of the cigarette industry is illegal: That equates to about 600 million sticks of cigarettes illegally imported and sold.
“That 600 million sticks equates to some K150 million in lost excise tax and revenue to the Government and people of Papua New Guinea.
“K150 million kina is a lot of money. That can do a lot for our mothers and children out there in the communities.