Tobacco-display ban will be detrimental to informal traders

THE SOUTH African Informal Traders Association (Saita) is calling for the government to consult its members properly before proceeding with its proposed ban on the display of cigarettes and other tobacco products.

Saita president Rosheda Muller says: “The minister of health has said he is going to ban the display of cigarettes by all traders and retailers, no matter how big or small.

“If you are one of the thousands of hawkers, informal traders or spaza shop owners, this ban will hit you hard. We estimate that about one third of the average informal traders’ income comes from cigarette sales.

“These are people who already struggle to make a living. If their cigarette market is taken away, they may be driven to a life of crime.”

Saita represents tens of thousands of informal traders, hawkers, spaza shop owners and home-based operators across all nine provinces.

The ban doesn’t make sense, says Muller. “The minister seems to think that by hiding cigarettes away, people will stop smoking.

“Anyone can tell you that it won’t work. Smokers want a cigarette and so they will go find them. But if you can’t see that a trader sells cigarettes, and more importantly, your brand of cigarettes, you will just walk past to another seller.”

Saita wrote to the minister of health who promised to consult.

Muller says: “That was a year ago and we’ve heard nothing. The government is always talking about how important small business is for jobs, and yet it isn’t doing much to look after our interests.”

Saita is also concerned about how the proposed display ban will lead to an increase in the illicit trade in cigarettes.

“Hiding cigarettes from sight will make it easier for criminals to distribute and sell illegal or counterfeit cigarettes. The illegal cigarette trade is a huge problem and banning the display of cigarettes will play into the hands of the criminals and penalise our members. We should be fighting criminals, not helping them.”

Muller says she understands the government wants to stop people smoking, especially the youth, “but the solution isn’t to hide the products, the solution is education”.

“Go into the schools and show our kids what smoking does to you.” Dani Cohen Prolog Consulting