Parliament passes Tobacco Industry Bill

Parliament has passed the Tobacco Industry Bill, which seeks to repeal the Tobacco Industry Act No. 10 of 2019.

The act has been replaced with a new and comprehensive legal framework for the regulation of the tobacco industry in Malaŵi.

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Minister of Agriculture Sam Kawale told Parliament on Wednesday that the new law is meeting the criteria of tobacco industry across the world.

“The old law was not adequately dealing with issues of child Labour, tenancy and how different stakeholders were supposed to operate,” he said.

Kawale further said the new bill protects growers as there were possibility of carnivorous activities by big companies that includes growing and transportation of tobacco.

He added that the bill has included clauses on how they can trace Malawi tobacco from the grower, chemical and labour used so that the leaf can be marketable anywhere else.

The new legislation among others will regulate contract and non-contract farming, tobacco production and delivery quota, sale of tobacco and its prices, processing, import and export of tobacco, disposal of tobacco plants and stalks, research and extension in tobacco; and sale and consumption of tobacco and nicotine products.

However, the bill has been passed with numerous amendments.