Georgetown: The Demerara Tobacco Company Limited has taken note of the passage recent Tobacco Control Bill. According to the company in a press release, its support the regulating of the tobacco industry and the government’s obligations under the Framework Convention in Tobacco Control, to which it’s a signatory, and to institute such legislation locally. However, “we remain very concerned that the bill in many clauses infringes on the rights of ordinary citizens and discriminates against many who are seeking to earn their livelihood from the trading of a legal product. We remain opposed to the ban of selling in trays.”
Managing Director, Maurlain Kirton said, the company is further disappointed that “we were not given the full opportunity as an industry through formal consultations to advance our views, aimed principally at attaining balance and removing elements of discrimination and other measures that are too draconian in their nature.”
Though the Bill is now passed and awaits final signature from The President, he said the company maintains that it is still not too late to send the Bill to a Joint Select Committee of the Parliament where some of the contentious issues can be more robustly reviewed. This was done in Jamaica, after the government passed a similar bill.
Notwithstanding, the Managing Director said the Company intends to comply with these news laws and will be making every effort to educate its trade and retail partners, the consumers and the general public as to what constitutes compliance as per the new legislation.
Of significant importance, to the consumers, the sellers and the distributor of cigarette products, is the fact that this bill passed Thursday, does not come into effect until some nine (9) months later. So, it is business as usual while the company, industry and country prepare for an effective start-up date of around May 2018.
“Over the next nine (9) months therefore, the Company will be working and communicating with its consumers, retailers, wholesalers and the distributors to provide adequate information and guidance as it relates to the new laws and its requirements during this transitional period,” he said
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