http://www.tobacco.org/newsfeed/country/zambia.rss Latest top tobacco news headlines en-us http://www.times.co.zm/news/viewnews.cgi?category=12&id=1257140095 http://tobacco.org/news/292013.html THE Government has warned farmers, merchants and firms exporting raw tobacco of stringent action if they do not regulate themselves. Commerce, Trade and Industry Minister Felix Mutati said the Government would take action on any company exporting unprocessed tobacco if they do not begin to regulate themselves. “So we call on you for self-regulation to ensure that you do not export unprocessed tobacco. Let us not export to Malawi and Zimbabwe unprocessed tobacco. Let us do the processing in Zambia,” he said. His Ministry would be discussing with the ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives on the measures the Government would take on those exporting unprocessed tobacco. Times of Zambia times@zamtel.zm ([item undated] Business Reporter) Zambia Mon, 02 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://allafrica.com/stories/200910150411.html http://tobacco.org/news/291161.html GOVERNMENT has given a one-week ultimatum to a Chipata-based tobacco company to pay 17 tobacco farmers K28 million owed to them. Chipata District Commissioner, Moses Nyirenda asked the managing director of Sims Enterprises, Ataf Mogra, to ensure his company paid the farmers by Friday next week. Mr Nyirenda said since the management of the tobacco company had agreed that it owed the farmers the money, it was only fair that they be paid their money. All-Africa.com Zambia Thu, 15 Oct 2009 04:00:00 GMT http://www.times.co.zm/news/viewnews.cgi?category=11&id=1242883999 http://tobacco.org/news/284325.html THE Tobacco Board of Zambia (TBZ) has challenged tobacco farmers in Zambia to increase production of the crop from the current 30 million kilogrammes to over 50 million kilogrammes by 2011. Board chairperson, Robinson Manase issued the challenge during the official opening of the Tobacco Association of Zambia sales floor in Lusaka yesterday. Mr Manase said tobacco production levels were considered to be low and therefore, there was need for further exploration and utilisation of the vast natural resources to boost production of the crop. Times of Zambia times@zamtel.zm (Business Reporter) Zambia Thu, 21 May 2009 04:00:00 GMT http://www.times.co.zm/news/viewnews.cgi?category=4&id=1242882792 http://tobacco.org/news/284324.html VICE-PRESIDENT, George Kunda, has said there is need to ensure that the law against smoking passed by the Ministry of Local Government and Housing statutory instrument is supported through strong and consistent enforcement. Mr Kunda said in Lusaka yesterday that the enforcement of the law prohibiting smoking in public places and promotion of smoking cessation was feasible as long as there was commitment from all stakeholders to the programme. Mr Kunda said this in a speech read on his behalf by Health Deputy Minister, Mwendoi Akakandelewa, during the Zambia Tobacco control campaign programme at Mulungushi International Conference Centre (MICC) in Lusaka. The Government last year issued Statutory Instrument number 39 of 2008, which prohibits smoking in public places. Times of Zambia times@zamtel.zm (Times Reporter) Zambia Thu, 21 May 2009 04:00:00 GMT http://allafrica.com/stories/200905110712.html http://tobacco.org/news/283671.html THE Tobacco Free Association of Zambia (TOFAZ) has resorted to the use of performing arts in its campaign to discourage the cultivation and consumption of tobacco. TOFAZ executive director Brenda Chitindi said during a tobacco control workshop in Lusaka yesterday that the organisation intended to use all effective means to free the nation from tobacco. Ms Chitindi said the organisation wanted to sensitise the tobacco consumers through the use of drama groups to get the message across. She said using artistic means to sensitise the nation would be the easiest way of delivering the message to the nation. She said most of the youth lacked knowledge on the dangers of consuming tobacco and needed to be sensitised. . . . She said the programme would be funded by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) under the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Meanwhile, Institute of Economic and Social Research researcher Richard Zulu said that there was need to implement the World Health Organisation framework convention on tobacco control. All-Africa.com Zambia Sat, 09 May 2009 04:00:00 GMT http://www.soschildrensvillages.org.uk/charity-news/quit4africalaunch.htm http://tobacco.org/news/283192.html SOS Children is launching a new campaign asking smokers to "quit for Africa". "Even though everyone understands the health benefits" said ex-smoker and fundraising director Kathie Neal "giving up smoking is a long and painful haul which requires sticking power. Knowing that the money you save is directly helping children alone could really help". Even if they buy some cigarettes abroad, smoking ten cigarettes a day typically costs a smoker between £60 and £120 a month, the same as the cost of 3 to 6 child sponsorships. SOS Children suggests that to increase the satisfaction of quitting and help smokers to celebrate their ongoing achievement they use just 60p a day, a small part of this saving, to sponsor a child in Zambia, Zimbabwe or Malawi, tobacco-growing areas of Africa. SOS Children helps children throughout Africa "The actual benefit to the African worker from a tobacco smoker is tiny, since the losers when you quit smoking are mainly the tax man and tobacco companies (who get most of the money from cigarettes" explained SOS CEO Andrew Cates "but nonetheless it seems appropriate to give something back to the countries which will lose the export". SOS Children's Villages info@soschildren.org Zimbabwe Malawi Africa Zambia Fri, 01 May 2009 04:00:00 GMT http://www.times.co.zm/news/viewnews.cgi?category=12&id=1241162721 http://tobacco.org/news/283154.html ZAMBIA and Malawi will soon sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) which will allow local crop marketing companies to export tobacco to that country, Eastern Province Minister, Isaac Banda has said. Mr Banda said during a Press briefing in Chipata yesterday that negotiations to facilitate the signing of the MoU between governments of the two countries had reached an advanced stage. The minister said after signing of the MoU, the Malawian government would open its borders to allow local crop marketing companies that were buying tobacco from Zambian farmers to export tobacco to Malawi. Times of Zambia times@zamtel.zm (Business Reporter) Malawi Zambia Sat, 02 May 2009 04:00:00 GMT http://www.times.co.zm/news/viewnews.cgi?category=all&id=1237873448 http://tobacco.org/news/281376.html EASTERN Province Chamber of Commerce and Industry (EPCCI) has appealed to Tobacco Board of Zambia (TBA) to come up with better tobacco prices for farmers to maximise production. EPCCI chairperson, Timothy Nyirenda also urged the Eastern Fodya Association of Zambia (Efaz) to spearhead negotiations for better crop prices. Mr Nyirenda said tobacco earnings in the sector had gone down due to the weakening of the Kwacha against the dollar and other convertible international currencies. Mr Nyirenda said in an interview in Chipata yesterday that, good prices for tobacco per grade could motivate farmers who would be encouraged to grow more. Times of Zambia times@zamtel.zm (Business Reporter) Zambia Tue, 24 Mar 2009 04:00:00 GMT http://www.times.co.zm/news/viewnews.cgi?category=all&id=1238660020 http://tobacco.org/news/281375.html EASTERN Province Minister Isaac Banda has urged tobacco-buying companies to set up a processing factory in the region to create more jobs. The minister said the move would also help to cut costs on exports of raw materials to other countries for processing. Mr Banda said in an interview yesterday that setting up a tobacco processing plant in the province would increase the revenue base for the Government. Times of Zambia Zambia Thu, 02 Apr 2009 04:00:00 GMT http://www.times.co.zm/news/viewnews.cgi?category=all&id=1217481806 http://tobacco.org/news/269398.html THE Government will soon issue guidelines to give fresh impetus to a statutory instrument that bans smoking in public places. Local Government and Housing Minister Sylvia Masebo said in Lusaka yesterday that the public places as referred to in statutory instrument (SI) 39 of 2008 are premises, buildings, conveyances and other places to which the public has access. Launching a youth smoking prevention campaign by British American Tobacco (BAT), Ms Masebo said the ministry would soon issue regulations to guide the public on the prohibition of smoking in public places. She appealed to service providers running bars, nightclubs, restaurants and other patronised places to ensure that they accommodated smoking patrons in designated areas by way of demarcation. Ms Masebo said the youth should be prevented from accessing tobacco. Times of Zambia times@zamtel.zm (Times Reporter) Zambia Thu, 31 Jul 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.times.co.zm/news/viewnews.cgi?category=all&id=1216101130 http://tobacco.org/news/269397.html THE British American Tobacco Company (BAT) has not assessed the impact of Government’s ban on smoking in public places on its sales because it was still seeking clarification on the definition of the term “public places”. Managing director, Lovemore Manatsa, said the BAT management has engaged in dialogue with the ministry of Local Government and Housing to get clarification on Statutory Instrument (SI) number 39 of 2008. Replying to a Press query, Mr Manatsa said so far two meetings have been held with the main objective of respecting the choices of both smokers and non-smokers. Times of Zambia times@zamtel.zm (Business Reporter) Zambia Tue, 15 Jul 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.daily-mail.co.zm/media/news/viewnews.cgi?category=17&id=1214472803 http://tobacco.org/news/268136.html BRITISH American Tobacco has lost K300 million in illicit inflows of sweet menthol cigarettes in Northern Province. BAT managing director, Lovemore Manatsa said there was an illegal inflow of 110 cases monthly of the sweet menthol cigarettes in the province. He said this translated into K300 million in the revenue losses to BAT, Government and other legitimate players in the market. He disclosed this in an interview in Lusaka yesterday. Mr Manatsa said the illicit inflows also made it difficult for the legitimate players to gauge the true size of the cigarette market in Zambia. Zambia Daily Mail Zambia Thu, 26 Jun 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.afriquenligne.fr/news/africa-news/zambia-bans-smoking-in-public-places-200805295331.html http://tobacco.org/news/266224.html The Zambian government has banned smoking in public places with immediate effect, and offenders will face maximum jail term of two years or maximum fine of K400,000 (US$121), Local Government and Housing Minister Sylvia Masebo said. Masebo said a statutory instrument prohibiting smoking in public places, such as any building, premises, conveyance, churches, hospitals, buses and other public places, came into effect Wednesday. "I have been compelled to issue the statutory instruction due to the continued smoking in public places by persons that have no regard for the comfort of others," Masebo said. Afriquenligne Zambia Thu, 29 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.times.co.zm/news/viewnews.cgi?category=3&id=1212049633 http://tobacco.org/news/266099.html THE move by the Government to ban smoking in public places and make it an offence punishable by a fine of K400,000 or imprisonment of up to two years is undoubtedly a milestone development in this country. The ban on smoking in public places, which is with immediate effect, is very much in keeping with standards in other parts of the world where authorities have clamped down on the practice. . . . On the other hand, although the authorities certainly deserve a pat on the back for this most bold of moves which significantly was taken on the eve of World Tobacco Day, the ban will not in itself be an end. The authorities must ensure that appropriate mechanisms are put in place for the enforcement of the new measure. As things stand now, there are statutes relating to public nuisances such as urinating or spitting. It is, therefore, incumbent upon the authorities, non-governmental organisations which champion health, concerned stakeholders and the public at large to give this new measure the support it deserves. Times of Zambia Zambia Thu, 29 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.times.co.zm/news/viewnews.cgi?category=6&id=1211184066 http://tobacco.org/news/265542.html THE Zambia Consumer Association (ZACA) has expressed worry at the delays by the ministries of Health and Foreign Affairs to ascend to the World Health Organisation (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). ZACA executive secretary, Muyunda Ililonga said his association was worried at the delays by the two ministries to ascent to the FCTC because its investigations had indicated that the Zambian Cabinet approved the recommendation by the Ministry of Health for the country to become a party to the FCTC in December 2007. Times of Zambia Zambia Mon, 19 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT