Tobacco import to require a licence

The Tobacco Control Regulation has been amended such that a special licence will be required to import tobacco and cigarette to the Maldives.

Deputy Director of Centre for Community Health and Disease Control Hassan Mohamed told Sun Online today that this amendment had been sent to the President’s Office to be published in the Government Gazette.

“This would help us control activities whereby traders of tobacco violate the regulation, because their businesses will be required to obtain the licence. The relevant government authorities would be able to monitor the parties that are involved in this business. And as this is a regulation, action can be taken against those who violate the regulation. Currently there is no control over activities such as advertisement of tobacco and selling tobacco to minors,” said Hassan Mohamed, who is also a member of the Tobacco Control Board.

He said that the licence will be given to people who require it as per the procedure stipulated in the regulation, and that action, such as the imposition of fines, will be taken against parties that violate the regulation.

“People who sell tobacco to children under the age of 18 would be subjected to higher fines. There are circumstances in which the licence may be revoked temporarily or permanently. Smuggling would also carry a high fine,” he said.

Hassan Mohamed said that a list of brands of tobacco that are presently in the Maldives would be compiled within the duration required by the regulation, and that any brand that is not on this list will require registration before it can be imported.

“A lot of information has to be presented in order to register a new brand. This includes the country in which the brand was created, the ingredients, and ways in which it would be imported to Maldives,” he said.