ECOWAS moves to eliminate illicit trading of tobacco in the region

THE Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on Monday, met in Abuja to validate the draft directive on track and trace systems for tobacco products and review the tax convention on income, capital and inheritance for the region.

The protocol to eliminate illicit trade of tobacco products enjoins all the member countries to establish a system to track and trace all tobacco products that are manufactured or imported in their territories.

These systems will take the forms of unique secure and indelible identification markings such as code ps or stamps affixed on all packets, cartons and any outer packaging of cigarettes.

According to the ECOWAS Director of Customs, Salifou Tiemtore, “this meeting aims at how to adopt at the regional level a guideline on how to track tobacco products, many people are smuggling tobacco and the government is losing a lot of money.

“Tobacco can also affect people’s health, it is normal for ECOWAS to come in and see how they can bring the countries together on how to address some challenges linked to tobacco consumption.

“Tracing and Tracking of these tobacco products can provide more revenue for the government and besides that it will help control the trading of tobacco products, this is the main objective of the meeting.

“Money realized from smuggling tobacco products is more than what they get from the official importation means”.

Based on the guidance provided by the meeting of experts from member states held in Ouagadougou in July, the aim of the directive is the approximation and harmonization, at the regional market level, the use of a unique secure and indelible marking on tobacco products which will have positive tax effects.

The ECOWAS Commission will subsequently define the architecture of the tracking and tracing system and requirements for its interoperability between member states.

To this end, it is expected that the independent service provider that will be selected to manage the tracking and tracing system will submit common community specifications.