Imports hurting local tobbaco industry

BANNING the importation of cigarettes on the Zambian market is the only way the government can recover revenues being lost through illicit tobacco trading, a local cigarettes manufacturer has stated. Roland Imperial Tobacco Company Limited general manager Aliport Ngoma said the prevalence of smuggled cigarettes on the Zambian market was very high, a situation he said was causing huge revenue losses for the country. Mr Ngoma told the Daily Nation in an interview that it was therefore imperative that the controls at the country’s entry borders are strengthened to stop smugglers. He said most of the borders were porous due to weak controls, saying failure to put stringent measures would see the country continue losing millions of Kwacha from the illicit trade. He disclosed that currently, about 7 million sticks of cigarettes could be manufactured locally to meet the demand. It is therefore imperative that the controls at the borders be strengthened to safeguard the nation from losing revenues through those illicit tobacco trading,” he said. He urged Government to invest in tobacco production as it was a lucrative investment which could help transform the agriculture sector. According to British American Tobacco Zambia plc, the Zambian government was losing an estimated K400 million in a three-year period due to the illicit tobacco trading they said was still prevailing in the country.