Manila Bulletin
Philippines
National
Consumer group calls for public vigilance on illicit trade of cigarettes, unregistered vapes
Philippines
National
Consumer group calls for public vigilance on illicit trade of cigarettes, unregistered vapes
Consumer group calls for public vigilance on illicit trade of cigarettes, unregistered vapes
Published Jun 15, 2023 05:38 am
A consumer rights group has voiced its concern over the alarming rise of smuggled cigarettes and vape products, saying that rampant illicit tobacco trade is detrimental to its goal of promoting less harmful alternatives to smoking.
“We have staunchly advocated for harm reduction strategies to save smokers’ lives. But those efforts are undermined by illicit tobacco trade because it opens doors to potentially unregulated and downright dangerous products,” Antonio Israel, president of the Nicotine Consumers Union of the Philippines (NCUP), said in reaction to the recent statements by Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Commissioner Romeo Lumagui during the recent Anti-Illicit Trade Summit held at Shangri-La The Fort in Taguig City. Israel is also one of the lead convenors of the “EKIS sa Smuggling” anti-illicit tobacco trade advocacy—a digital movement that aims to educate the retailers and consumers on the dangers of buying and selling illicit and counterfeit tobacco. EKIS was established to raise awareness online of this growing menace. “The problem of illicit tobacco trade is a persistent concern among various stakeholders who are actively working towards promoting less harmful alternatives to traditional smoking,” Israel said as he underscored the importance of educating the public on the risks associated with counterfeit and unregulated products. He urged retailers and consumers to be vigilant, exercise utmost caution and only purchase from trusted and authorized sources. Israel said consumer education would lead to support for legal and regulated markets and ensure the continued availability of safer alternatives. Israel also commended the BIR and Lumagui for their dedication to fighting illicit tobacco trade. “We salute the BIR and Commissioner Lumagui for their untiring commitment to go after illicit traders. There needs to be proactive measures from the government to ensure the safety of consumers. Not many people know even buying 1 counterfeit cigarette stick or 1 unregistered vape on Shopee or Lazada has disastrous ripple effects which adversely impact our economy and public health,” he said. In his speech at the Summit, Lumagui revealed that crime syndicates worldwide use the profits gained from illicit trade to fund illegal activities such as human and drug trafficking, money laundering, cybercrime and armed robbery. He said this puts international and local communities in great security peril. While Lumagui confirmed that illicit trade had affected economies in all regions of the globe during the pandemic, he also emphasized its devastating effect domestically as the problem of illicit cigarette trade was the reason BIR incurred a 20 percent shortfall in its target excise tax collection. Lumagui also noted during the summit that the problem of smuggled goods has extended to digital spaces. He committed to intensifying efforts against illicit trade of unregistered and non-compliant vapes and heated tobacco products which continue to be sold in major online shopping platforms like Lazada, Shopee and Facebook Marketplace.
“We have staunchly advocated for harm reduction strategies to save smokers’ lives. But those efforts are undermined by illicit tobacco trade because it opens doors to potentially unregulated and downright dangerous products,” Antonio Israel, president of the Nicotine Consumers Union of the Philippines (NCUP), said in reaction to the recent statements by Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Commissioner Romeo Lumagui during the recent Anti-Illicit Trade Summit held at Shangri-La The Fort in Taguig City. Israel is also one of the lead convenors of the “EKIS sa Smuggling” anti-illicit tobacco trade advocacy—a digital movement that aims to educate the retailers and consumers on the dangers of buying and selling illicit and counterfeit tobacco. EKIS was established to raise awareness online of this growing menace. “The problem of illicit tobacco trade is a persistent concern among various stakeholders who are actively working towards promoting less harmful alternatives to traditional smoking,” Israel said as he underscored the importance of educating the public on the risks associated with counterfeit and unregulated products. He urged retailers and consumers to be vigilant, exercise utmost caution and only purchase from trusted and authorized sources. Israel said consumer education would lead to support for legal and regulated markets and ensure the continued availability of safer alternatives. Israel also commended the BIR and Lumagui for their dedication to fighting illicit tobacco trade. “We salute the BIR and Commissioner Lumagui for their untiring commitment to go after illicit traders. There needs to be proactive measures from the government to ensure the safety of consumers. Not many people know even buying 1 counterfeit cigarette stick or 1 unregistered vape on Shopee or Lazada has disastrous ripple effects which adversely impact our economy and public health,” he said. In his speech at the Summit, Lumagui revealed that crime syndicates worldwide use the profits gained from illicit trade to fund illegal activities such as human and drug trafficking, money laundering, cybercrime and armed robbery. He said this puts international and local communities in great security peril. While Lumagui confirmed that illicit trade had affected economies in all regions of the globe during the pandemic, he also emphasized its devastating effect domestically as the problem of illicit cigarette trade was the reason BIR incurred a 20 percent shortfall in its target excise tax collection. Lumagui also noted during the summit that the problem of smuggled goods has extended to digital spaces. He committed to intensifying efforts against illicit trade of unregistered and non-compliant vapes and heated tobacco products which continue to be sold in major online shopping platforms like Lazada, Shopee and Facebook Marketplace.