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TabaRwanda changes corporate name to BAT Rwanda 

Rwanda's leading cigarette manufacturer, TabaRwanda, has changed its corporate name to British American Tobacco Rwanda.

The change comes almost two years after the BAT Group acquired a government stake in the company, taking over as the new owner. Last week, the company also marked 30 years of operation in Rwanda.

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• BAT Rwanda Now Cedes Cigarette Making to Kenya 

British American Tobacco Rwanda, previously known as Tabarwanda, announced an operational restructuring last week, in which the company has become a centre of distribution and marketing excellence for the Rwanda-Burundi area.

Mr. Luc Badibanga, the managing director, said BAT Rwanda has been identified by the British American Tobacco (BAT) Group for its position and added that the country was "strategic for the long-term continuity of our business in the area."

"Our unique geographical position makes the country an ideal hub for the expansion of the Group's distribution network. Rwanda has been identified as a launch pad into Burundi," he said.

During a press conference at Intercontinental Hotel Kigali, Badibanga added that the restructuring would also enlarge the company's portfolio with the introduction of renowned international brands starting this year.

As part of this change, BAT Rwanda will transfer cigarette production to the sister company BAT Kenya from Quarter 2, 2006: "BAT Kenya has been identified as a centre of excellence for manufacturing,"

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• BAT Rwanda in Restructuring Drive 

The British American Tobacco Rwanda recently announced it would restructure its operations, with the company becoming a Centre of Distribution and Marketing Excellence for the Rwanda-Burundi area.

According to the Managing Director Luc Badibanga, BAT-Rwanda has been identified by the BAT Group for its position.

"The country is strategic for the long-term continuity of our business in the area. Our unique geographical position makes the country an ideal hub for the expansion of the Group's distribution network. Rwanda has been identified as a launch pad into Burundi," Badibanga said at a press conference at Intercontinental Hotel Kigali Wednesday, March 29.

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KAMUGISHA: Remedy to Chronic Smoking in Rwanda 

We need community based health programmes in place. In communities where two-thirds of the population do not read and write, it is crucial to devise simple and low budget programmes.

The Health ministries, health groups and non- government organisations (NGOs) should play an active role in spearheading the campaign for tobacco control programmes. There are simply not enough tobacco control advocates to handle this project alone. Health groups and other anti-tobacco lobbies can play a key role in the development of comprehensive national tobacco control programmes.

We have to face up to tobacco crop cultivation and stop all subsidies for cultivation.

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• Yanza tobacco traders ignorant about new law 

A sojourn by the Business Times has indicated that Tobacco vendors in Yanza market are unaware of the restrictive measures instituted recently by the Ministry of Health, to curb smoking in public places. Located about four kilometres on the outskirts of Nyabugogo, a suburb of Kigali city,between Kigali-Ngali and MVK provinces,

Tobacco business at Yanza is booming as usual despite the new law on tobacco.

Yanza is a hub of activities that revolve around tobacco and the people there say the law will disrupt their businesses. "Tobacco smoking has been in existence since time imemorial; even before my father died he used to deal in the same product and smoked it but died of a different disease that is not tobacco-related," Vincent Mazimpaka, said.

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Government Bans Public Smoking 

As an anti-tobacco campaign kicks-off countrywide, the Ministry of Health has put more strict measures on banning public smoking.The ban bars smoking in bars, restaurants, clubs and work places, in line with the World Health Organization (WHO) Tobacco Control Guidelines.

Addressing a Press Conference at the health ministry boardroom, the Health Minister Dr. Jean Damascene Ntawukuliryayo, unveiled the three-page Ministerial Decree, which stipulates measures to reinforce the nationwide anti-tobacco campaign.

"We have signed WHO anti-tobacco pacts; it is the right time to join rest of the world to fulfill the obligation. Identifying factors that force someone to smoke is the major issue to deal with, to make sure tobacco problems are fought at the sources," the minister underscored.

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• Confusion over Rwanda smoking ban 

Rwanda's health minister has warned people to adhere to his September ban on smoking in public places.

Few smokers have paid attention to the health ministry's decree because it carries no penalty or punishment.

The BBC's Geoffrey Mutagoma says many Rwandans smoke and cigarettes are culturally important as they are one of the gifts given as part of bride price.

The health minister says punishments will be meted out, indicating that MPs intend to pass a law in parliament. . . .

African countries are experiencing the highest increase in the rate of tobacco use amongst developing countries.

Uganda and Tanzania are among the African countries to have banned public smoking in the last two years.

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Rwanda: Five Million Smokers Die Annually - WHO 

The campaign to fight smoking will have to reduce on the number of smokers who die worldwide now estimated at five million annually. This means that about 13,661 people die daily due to smoking.

If the current tobacco consumption patterns continue, the number of deaths will reach 10 million per year by 2020, of which 70% will occur in developing countries, according to reports from the World Health Organisation.

It says the situation is moving from bad to worse as the tobacco industry relocates to the poor South, fleeing harsh regulations in the developed countries. "This Region has to confront this epidemic quickly because tobacco consumption is a preventable cause of death," Sambo is quoted as saying. . . .

Speaking to some hardcore smokers in Kigali city on the impression about quitting and smoking dangers, Emmanuel Mugisha, a businessman, revealed that if the law is passed on smoking in public, the government should have provisions of smoker's kiosks. "After 15 years of smoking, I can quit because the law has to be respected. I only hope that treatment and counseling services can be provided to those trying to quit smoking.

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BAT Takes Over Taba Rwanda 

The tobacco giant British American Tobacco has bought the 41 % shares floated by the Rwandese government interests in Taba Rwanda raising the shares of BAT in the company to 70%.

The public relations officer BAT in Kampala Henry Rugamba said that the newly acquired shares of BAT in TABA Rwanda, the biggest Rwandese Tobacco Company has won them a controlling interest in the company for $ 1.5 m.

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BAT buys majority share in Rwandan tobacco company 

The British American Tobacco group has become the major shareholder in Rwandan tobacco company Tabarwanda, after buying the government's stake in the company for $1.5 million (1.02 million pounds), officials said today.

"The British-American Tobacco (BAT) group has acquired ownership of Tabarwanda in the framework of the on-going privatisation of government-owned agencies," one Rwanda government official said.

Tabarwanda was previously owned by four shareholders, a BAT spokesman in the Kenyan capital Nairobi told Reuters.

The Rwandan government owned a 23.54 percent stake, the OCIR Cafe firm owned 7.14 percent, the Rwandan Development Bank owned 21.43 percent and BAT's wholly-owned Belgian subsidiary Tabacofina Vander Elst owned 47.89 percent.

BAT, through Tabacofina Vander Elst, bought the Rwandan government's stake for $1.5 million, valuing the company at around $6.37 million. . .

Regional BAT coordinator Chris Burreu said his company hoped to boost Tabarwanda's performance.

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