Tobacco Products Control Bill met with opposition
THE South African Spaza and Tuckshop Association (Sasta) has objected to the Tobacco Products Control Bill, arguing they should either be exempted from it entirely, or it should be scrapped.
The bill has been amended three times over the last 15 years, and the latest proposed regulations introduce, among others, control over smoking in public places, regulation over the sale and advertising of tobacco products, provisions for the standardisation of packaging of cigarettes and a ban on the sale of loose cigarettes.
Sasta said they had raised concerns previously at wholesale and retail level, but their pleas have been ignored.
“The bill’s provisions cannot be applied or enforced in spazas and tuckshops because they are too small and most of their owners are too poor and unsophisticated.
“The display ban is not only impracticable for most businesses but for those that find solutions it is dangerous. For every tobacco transaction, the shop owner will need to search for cigarettes in a hiding place and all in packs that look identical. This will expose our members to a much-heightened risk of theft and attack. “We do note that the Bill now also proposes to prohibit the sale of single cigarettes. A huge majority of all our sales is in single cigarettes. Our customers cannot afford to buy full packs, especially at tax paid prices. If only full packs are available, our customers will only be able to afford to purchase illegal tobacco which is what they will do. This measure effectively bans our entire cigarette trade. Like the display ban, it will force all our members to either break the law or close up,” Satsa said.
The department of health said it will respond to Sasta’s comments in due course.
Earlier this month, the SA Informal Traders Association conducted a walkabout in Khayelitsha, to highlight their opposition to the bill as well.
Saita president Rosheda Muller had said informal traders could face a five-year prison sentence if they displayed cigarettes for sale.
Our customers cannot afford to buy full packs, especially at tax paid prices