Tobacco Control in Africa - TCA

Morocco’s Finance bill of 2019 to raise taxes on cigarettes

The finance committee to the House of Representatives has adopted 56 amendments on the 2019 Finance Bill, including a tax increase on shisha. The 2019 Finance Bill will increase the domestic consumption tax on certain cigarette brands.The tax increase will affect the most widely-consumed cigarettes on the market, Marlboro, and Marquise. Marlboro packs will be sold for MAD 40 instead of 33, and Marquise for MAD 21 instead of 19. Minister of Economy and Finance Mohamed Benchaaboun explained the tax hike in a press conference Monday at the ministry’s headquarters in Rabat.

Kenya Tobacco Control Alliance (KETCA) calls for increased taxes

The chairman for Kenya Tobacco Control Alliance , Mr. Joel Shunza Gitali in a recent interview on public television, called for an increase in tobacco taxes by Government. He argues that an increase in taxes will add revenue to the Government ex-checker and saves lives as well. KETCA have been spearheading this campaign since 2008.

Tobacco taxation workshop in Cape Town

The GCRF Tobacco Control Capacity Programme has held a one week workshop of expert sessions to support research fellows with their tobacco control taxation plans. Among topics discussed were illicit trade and tobacco taxation, in line with the framework convention on tobacco control guidelines.

Project on Tobacco Tax Advocacy Underway in Nigeria

The Civil Society Legislative Society Advocacy Center (CISLAC) is collaborating with Tax Justice Network Africa to create awareness on tobacco Tax Advocacy in Nigeria. The project is themed "supporting effective tobacco control through responsive tax  systems in Nigeria."

Cameroon's government plans to increase taxes and install graphic warnings

Cameroon’s government has made public its plans geared at ensuring an increase in taxes on tobacco products in the country.

This disclosure was made in the past month in the capital, Yaounde, by the Technical Adviser in the Minister of Public Health, Dr. Samuel Kingue, during a belated ceremony to mark the 2018 World No Tobacco Day. Dr. Kingue, who is also the President of Cameroon Cardiac Society, noted that the day is observed worldwide on every May 31 but for some technical reason, the commemoration in Cameroon was postponed.

How cigarettes are taxed

Interesting map posted on the CTCA site (as we reported in November). Right on target for World No Tobacco Day 2014!

2013/2014 IDRC grant to CRES to improve taxation policies in West Africa

IDRC provided CRES with a $378 grant in June 2013 to promote improving the taxation of tobacco products in West Africa. A one day workshop was organized in February 2014  in Ivory Coast, bringing together parliamentarians from 14 of the 15 countries of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). More infos on the site of CRES  about this meeting, but only in French. To get the reports country by country, click on 'documents'.

How cigarettes are taxed

Interesting map posted on the CTCA site

About the new tobacco control law in Gabon

Gabonese advocate Thanguy NZUE OBAME has shared with us copies of the new tobacco control law, Loi 006/2013 enacted on August 21 2013, about the new tobacco control policies in Gabon ('portant instauration des mesures antitabac en République Gabonaise"). Below are a few immediate comments but a more complete analysis will take more time. Here is the post published on the FCTC site on November 13.

Monitoring team thwarts tobacco industry interference in Uganda (from FCTC.org)

ATCA's Patrick Musavuli discusses tobacco industry monitoring. (c) Tih Ntiabang

From FCTC.org

A specially trained team of tobacco control advocates has prevented the tobacco industry from getting a suggested tobacco tax increase in Uganda reduced.

The Ministry of Finance had proposed increasing Uganda’s excise tax duty on cigarettes by 45.5 percent in the 2013-14 budget. When the matter was discussed in Parliament’s Finance Committee, the industry submitted a petition calling for an increase of just 11.4 percent.

$ 84,962 for an Anglophone Lawyers Seminar in Addis Ababa

Recent grant noted on the Bloomberg Initiative website: $84,962 for The Ethiopian Public Health Association (EPHA) to support a 5-day Seminar for English-speaking African lawyers in Addis Ababa on the FCTC and the drafting and implementation of effective tobacco control legislation.

IDRC and Taxation of Tobacco Products in West Africa

Revisiting the grants awarded by IDRC it is interesting to look at how Dakar based CRES has been significantly funded to research the taxation of tobacco products in West Africa. Of course many meetings were organized including one in Paris and a 3 day conference in Ougadougou. But is any specific information available on line? I have not found any -yet-.

Regional Conference in Ouagadougou, November 26,27, 28 2012 about tobacco taxation

press release

The Consortium for Social and Economic Research (CRES), in partnership with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and International Development Research Centre for International Development ( IDRC), organizes a regional conference to share country profiles made in the 15 countries in ECOWAS and regional synthesis on tobacco products taxation products. This high-level meeting will be held on Monday 26, Tuesday 27 and Wednesday 28 November 2012 at   hotel Azalaï-Independence at Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

Meeting in Paris about tobacco taxation in Africa

Meeting in Paris July 31, 2012 Was it really necessary and what was really achieved? How much did it cost? REALLY?

Jeudi, 09 Août 2012 10:06

Rencontre sur la Collecte de données dans la taxation du tabac en Afrique – Paris, 31 juillet 2012 Le mardi 31 juillet 2012 à Paris, le CRES, représenté par le Pr Abdoulaye Diagne et Mme Nafissatou Baldé Sow, a pris part à la Rencontre sur la Collecte de données dans la taxation du tabac en Afrique. Elle a été organisée par The Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases représentée Mme Sylvianne Ratte, Conseillère technique Lutte Anti-Tabac. Le séminaire a réuni plusieurs acteurs de la taxation du tabac : l’African Tobacco Control Consortium, le Centre de recherche pour le développement international, l’American Cancer Society, l’Organisation Mondiale de la Santé, le Center for Disease Control and Prevention, la fondation Bloomberg, la Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, l’Université de Montreal et l’Université de Cap Town. Les intervenants ont pu exposer les projets en cours ainsi que les données collectées dans le domaine de la taxation du tabac. Ils ont également partagé leurs expériences sur la collecte de données, notamment en précisant les données manquantes dans les pays que leurs projets ont couverts. Des suggestions ont été faites pour une meilleure exploitation des sources de données existantes, l’amélioration de la collecte des données et des précisions apportées le type de données nécessaires pour la formulation d’une politique de taxation plus efficace. Enfin, les structures présentes ont échangé sur les perspectives de projets futurs pour la collecte des données sur les taxes et les prix du tabac, et ont notamment évoqué la collaboration avec les Instituts Nationaux de la Statistiques dans les pays d’Afrique, les possibilités de formation des décideurs et les opportunités de partenariat au niveau régional et international.