Nigeria Tobacco Control Alliance (NTCA) has called for the operationalization of the Tobacco Control Fund.
The NTCA lamented that tobacco industry players don’t pay licensing fees to the tobacco control fund.
The Chairman, NTCA, Akinbode Oluwafemi, while briefing journalists on Thursday in Abuja, said the unavailability of an operational account for the payment of licensing fees makes the operations of tobacco manufacturers, importers and distributors in the country illegal, as the companies have no license to back their operations.
According to him, tobacco manufacturers are meant to pay N10 million, distributors N2million and importers N10 million which they have not paid in the last 4 years.
He said the continued delay in the operationalization of the fund is tantamount to self-injury on the federal government revenues which should accrue to the fund from the issuance of licenses to tobacco manufacturers and distributors is being lost .
In his words, “it is deeply concerning that the tobacco industry with its awful public health implications is indirectly being granted a “license-free-holiday” and is allowed to operate in Nigeria without licenses because of the government’s continued failure to make the Tobacco Control Fund operational.
“It is not a secret that tobacco control activities in the country are grossly underfunded and this ugly delay negatively impacts important tobacco control work.
“The tobacco industry has continued to dangle monies before the government in the guise of corporate social responsibility.
“The Tobacco Control Fund will give the government the impetus to do what it needs to do and to call the bluff of the ‘Greek gift’ from the Tobacco industry.”
He said the Central Bank of Nigeria, Federal Ministry of Finance and the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation must also play their roles in the setting up of the account to ensure that the revenue loss is closed and the fund is running as prescribed by the NTC Act,2015.
