Sri Lanka
British American Tobacco (BAT) has reiterated the need for greater understanding of the illegal tobacco trade, the criminals behind it, and the need for greater cooperation and collaboration to fight it. This call to action launched as part of a new campaign, developed by the company, to raise awareness of the facts around the illegal tobacco trade.
Commenting on the situation in Sri Lanka, Felicio Ferraz, managing director and c.e.o. of BAT’s local representative – the Ceylon Tobacco Company, said: “The nature and scale of the illegal tobacco trade and the approaches required to tackle it vary from country to country. Here, in Sri Lanka, the illegal tobacco industry is dominated by highly organized smugglers and it is estimated to be 1.5% of the market. The implications of the growth of this industry are far reaching and include substandard products reaching the consumer, noncompliance of local laws and regulations, loss of government revenue, etc. As such, we continue to support the Sri Lankan government in their efforts to curb illegal tobacco from entering the market.”
Director of corporate and regulatory affairs Dinesh Dharmadasa commened: “The amount of illegal tobacco is much more significant than is generally realised: an estimated 400-600 billion cigarettes, the equivalent of approximately 10-12% of world consumption. It is a transnational, multi-faceted issue and one that requires a collaborative approach to tackle it, from governments and law enforcement agencies with whom we work in partnership to retailers and customers who can arm themselves with the facts.” Dharmadasa continues: “BAT invest over US$75 million globally each year to fight the illegal tobacco trade. The group has dedicated anti-illicit trade teams across the markets that support and work with government agencies, including police and customs officials, to curb the threat of illicit trading of cigarettes.”
Experts estimate that if all of the different people and organizations involved in the illegal tobacco trade around the world were combined into one conglomerate, they would become the third largest international tobacco company by revenue.