Carreras urges caution on new tobacco control legislation
CARRERAS Limited, Jamaica’s leading marketer and distributor of cigarettes, is urging the Government to move cautiously with the new tobacco control legislation which it is set to introduce.
Minister of Health and Wellness Dr Christopher Tufton last month tabled in Parliament the Tobacco Control Bill, which he said is to help address the epidemic of non-communicable diseases (NCDS) affecting Jamaica.
According to Tufton, the legislation puts the island in line to satisfy its outstanding obligations under the World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Treaty, which it ratified some 14 years ago.
Tufton noted that these obligations that could not be satisfied under the existing Public Health (Tobacco Control) Regulations, 2013.
But managing director of Carreras Raoul Glynn, yesterday warned that the new legislation could do more harm than good.
“We implore the Government to do a full assessment of the industry before instituting any draconian measure that will in the end not result in the intended objectives but instead wreak economic havoc and displace the livelihoods of so many Jamaicans,” said Glynn.
“We continue to assess the market and do the research; we remain open to conversing with the Government to create plans and policies that will acknowledge a balance to benefit all Jamaicans,” added Glynn.
He said Carreras understands and supports the implementation of any reasonable regulation for the tobacco industry, “but the fact is we are a legal company that is in existence as we supply a demand to adult smokers”.
He added: “We also understand that due to the nature of our products there is a need for regulation. As a company we endeavour to review and adjust our internal policies to ensure that cigarettes are legitimately distributed through authorised suppliers/merchandisers to adult smokers.
“In notable instances, the policies that we self-mandate to govern our day-to-day operations are stricter than the local laws. We make it our duty to ensure that consumers and customers are adults who are aware of all aspects of our products.
“However, the Government must realise that as a legal Jamaican company that aims to provide jobs for Jamaicans, profit for our shareholders and opportunities for Jamaicans who are otherwise in need, it is becoming increasingly difficult to operate and give back the way we intend to.”
The Carreras head pointed out that the company’s staff complement is constituted of people on varied ends of the academic spectrum, from CXCS up to postgraduate degrees.
“We have seen people grow through our company from sales representatives to managers by us noting their potential and customising a developmental track for them,” said Glynn.
“In 2020, when other companies, in response to the pandemic, were forced to cut staff and salaries, we engaged in on-boarding and maintained our salaries as we recognised that especially in this time our employees needed financial stability. It [2020] was not our best performing financial year; we could have opted to cut salaries and jobs to maintain our profit margins, but our responsibility is firstly to our people.
“We chose to take the loss together as a company rather than place our employees and their families in a precarious position. Instead, we extended employee benefits during this time to ensure their safety and comfort as best as possible,” added Glynn, as he argued that some aspects of the Bill tabled by Tufton “are compromising the incomes of not just our employees but rum bars/ entertainment spaces that have already been greatly affected by the implemented COVID-19 safety measures”.
Glynn charged the Government to give equal attention to the illicit trade in tobacco, as the harder it becomes for Carreras to operate the easier it becomes for the illicit trade to grow and deplete taxes as well as possibly decrease employment opportunities in Jamaica.
He pointed out that despite the lockdown measures associated with the coronavirus pandemic, during the period July to September more than nine million sticks of contraband cigarettes, destined for the Jamaican market, with an estimated street value of $300 million, were seized between local and international ports.