16 March 2008
The Tobacco Institute of South Africa has been quoted on numerous occasions saying that they don’t have any problems with the new tobacco regulations. They do however disagree with the hastiness of the Health Department to implement the Tobacco Control Amendment Bill.
“The latest effort by the department to rush a Bill which is controversial and will have far reaching implications with other stakeholders, we do have a problem with,” says Francois van der Merwe, Chairman and CEO of the Tobacco Institute of South Africa.
He adds that they (the Tobacco Institute) are doing everything in their power to get the decision turned around. “There needs to be a proper process, this Bill needs to be referred back to the Department for them to engage with the industry to iron out the contentious issues and bring it back to Parliament,” says van der Merwe.
According to van der Merwe, if the above mentioned is not done- a mockery will be made of the country’s democracy and the Health Portfolio Committee in Parliament’s time would be wasted.
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