Time: 2021-11-11
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On November 10, according to foreign news reports, a new report showed that the illegal cigarette trade in South Africa hit a record high.
In the first of the four hot spots in South Africa, at least two-thirds of the stores sold cigarettes below the minimum chargeable tax (MCT) 21.60 South African Rand (1.40 USD). In the Free State and Western Cape, this number has risen to three-quarters.
British American Tobacco South Africa (BATSA) general manager Johnny Moloto (Johnny Moloto) said in a statement: "The illegal cigarette trade in South Africa is the world's largest cigarette black market and is now officially out of control.
"Since the disastrous sales ban was implemented for more than a year, the illegal network it has promoted and enriched continues to dominate the retail industry. They are destroying legal employment and livelihoods, depriving the Ministry of Finance of 19 billion South African lands in 2021 alone. Special (1.3 billion U.S. dollars) tobacco excise tax. The government has the responsibility to make this threat a national priority, enforce the law without fear or favoritism, and eliminate this income-damaging scourge once and for all in our country.
After conducting the fourth survey of the tobacco trade this year, the report showed: Almost half of the stores (43%) have illegal cigarettes nationwide; the price of cigarettes is equivalent to 8 South African rand ($0.54) per pack. Almost less than one-third of MCT; in the past four months, the number of illegal cigarettes sold has almost tripled; in the Northern Cape, the number of shops selling illegal cigarettes (63%) in the past four months Increased four times.
The latest report was conducted from October 8 to 15, 2021, and similar studies were conducted in March, February and June this year. Researchers used the mystery shopper model to buy the cheapest cigarettes in 4486 stores across the country.