In Kenya, the 2018 Tobacco Control Bill in Nairobi County is of concern to the local branch of the British American Tobacco (BAT). The regulation, tabled last December, wants to create a department in charge of health in the county that would grant licenses to tobacco distributors.
LICENSES FOR TOBACCO DISTRIBUTORS?
It also requires distributors to clearly show in their outlets that tobacco products are prohibited for persons under the age of 18 and provides for fines for those who employ minors in the sale or supply of tobacco products.
According to Beverley Spencer-ObatoyinboAs the company's managing director, the provisions of the text reflect excessive regulation of the sector and are much more stringent than those contained in the national tobacco control law, which is nevertheless considered to be one of the most stringent on the continent.
For the manager, extreme restrictions, especially at points of sale, risk undermining the business environment and leading to numerous arrests. In 2018, BAT Kenya achieved sales of 20,7 billion shillings ($ 206 million).
Source : Ecofin Agency
