New minimum price for cigarettes proposed for South Africa

[BusinessTech]

New minimum price for cigarettes proposed for South Africa

British American Tobacco SA (BATSA), one of South Africa's largest tobacco companies, has called on the government to introduce a new minimum price for cigarettes in the country.

 

[Hemi300c]

Ummmm nope..............the SAPS and other agencies should just start doing their job and get rid of the illegal or non tax paying cigarettes' in SA incl the zuma factory.

 

[bwana]

Company sells death and worries about unfair competition?

 

[Kodi]

 

[Pineapple Smurf]

Drive prices high and it encourages more Black market skelm imports
Has this guavament not learnt anything in the last 27 years?

 

[ShaunSA]

Screw BAT!

 

[Lupus]

I think a large portion of people have moved across to the illegals that Dudu kindly introduced to most smokers last year.

 

[PaulMurkin]

Drive prices high and it encourages more Black market skelm imports
Has this guavament not learnt anything in the last 27 years?

Nothing, not one thing, except to allow Indian businessmen to state capture

 

[Temujin]

Clowns learnt nothing from the 'lockdown' ban

 

[rvZA]

“BATSA is calling for a minimum legal retail price for cigarettes of R28 per pack that would allow police to seize illegal cigarettes more effectively and give guidance to consumers to differentiate between legal and illegal products,” said BATSA general manager Johnny Moloto.

Three thoughts around this....

1. Police can already seize illegal cigarettes. It is just that they won't stiffle that market due to politicians and/or their families being involved in it.

2. Not as if these illegal cigarette manufacturers cared about laws and pricing before. New pricing will not mean a new solution. Not even sure why this was recommended in any event. It is as if BATSA people does not know much about the tabacco industry.

3. We consumers do not need education. We know what illicit cigarettes are. We are supporting them due to their pricing. BATSA should consider coming down to R9 a packet of 20 to compete instead.

 

[rvZA]

Company sells death and worries about unfair competition?

So does car companies. Sugar companies too. Drug / medicine manufacturers too. We can name long lists of companies selling 'death'. Everything on earth is killing us. We were all born with the same illness of having to die at some stage. No one will leave this earth alive.

 

[Supervan II]

Screw BAT!

Yeah, they're BAT-schitt crazy!!!!!

Far, far too late - during the first lockdown they left the field wide open for the black market to strengthen and now they've taken over completely.

 

[Aghori]

DS is R9 a pack of 20's. Made right here in KZN and also in JHB.

BAT is bleeding consumers faster than Lupus on top of a fat chick. They need to try and salvage that income.

 

[rvZA]

DS is R9 a pack of 20's. Made right here in KZN and also in JHB.

BAT is bleeding consumers faster than Lupus on top of a fat chick. They need to try and salvage that income.

True. Fewer people can afford to pay between R40 and R50 a packet of 20 cigarettes. As the economy keeps declining and company sheds jobs as they do, more and more people will not be able to afford this. They will rather first move to illicit cigarettes before quitting.

BAT should rather focus on making cheaper cigarettes or getting into the illicit market themselves. Either way... time for them to rather shift their focus.

 

[LiPO]

Drop the sin tax, less people are smoking now. BAT minimum price is too high, drop it to R18.
I doubt old smokers will come back, the youth are too health Instagram focused to take up smoking.

 

[DreamKing]

create more laws to expect criminals will follow ......

really make perfect sense.

 

[Arthur]

Stop interfering with freedom of contract! How dare you even think of legally imposing a price. Fascists.

 

[rietrot]

True. Fewer people can afford to pay between R40 and R50 a packet of 20 cigarettes. As the economy keeps declining and company sheds jobs as they do, more and more people will not be able to afford this. They will rather first move to illicit cigarettes before quitting.

BAT should rather focus on making cheaper cigarettes or getting into the illicit market themselves. Either way... time for them to rather shift their focus.

If they wanted to suggest a reasonable solution to government it would be to cut the sin taxes.

 

[bwana]

So does car companies. Sugar companies too. Drug / medicine manufacturers too. We can name long lists of companies selling 'death'. Everything on earth is killing us. We were all born with the same illness of having to die at some stage. No one will leave this earth alive.

Sure. Even Shatner managed it and he's 90.

 

[Dan C]

Screw BAT!

That sounds disgusting