MANGAUNG – The Portfolio Committee on Health concluded its Free State public hearings on the Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Control Bill (B33-2022) at the Leslie Monnanyane Hall.

According to Parliament of South Africa, residents at the hearing advocated for the Bill to include a provision requiring tobacco traders to be licensed, akin to liquor trading licenses. This, participants say, would plug an existing gap in the Bill regarding enforcement mechanisms.

The hearing saw mixed reactions to the Bill. Those in favor emphasized the need to improve implementation and monitoring mechanisms, as some participants noted the lack of these had led to tobacco products being sold to young children. Others argued that the Bill’s economic impacts have been exaggerated to deter regulation, pointing out that the industry’s R12 billion contribution to the economy is outweighed by the over R14 billion spent on treating tobacco-related illnesses.

In addition to licensing, another proposal from the attendees was for the government to impose higher excise duties on tobacco products to balance the Department of Health’s spending on tobacco-related diseases. Critics of the Bill raised concerns about its impact on small-scale traders and resultant unemployment. Moreover, they said the Bill fails to address the proliferation of the illicit cigarette market.

E-cigarette traders contended that including electronic delivery systems in the regulation of tobacco products was a significant mistake. They said this would jeopardize their business operations, as they rely on courier services from other provinces for their supplies.

The Portfolio Committee on Health has now completed its public hearings on the Bill in four provinces, including Limpopo, North West, Mpumalanga, and Free State.