Zambia and Malawi meet to tackle illegal cross-border tobacco trade

Zambia and Malawi are continuing to suffer the effects of illegal cross-border trading in tobacco, despite counter measures that have been taken, according to a story in the Zambia Daily Mail.

The Tobacco Board of Zambia and the Tobacco Control Commission of Malawi recently held a meeting aimed at addressing the illegal trade between the two countries, which is said to have become ‘rampant’.

Malawi’s Agriculture Minister, Peter Mwanza, who officiated at the meeting, said the illegal trade was perpetrated by vendors who acted as middlemen for buyers by establishing buying points along the borders.

In some cases, vendors provided inputs to tobacco farmers.

The illegal cross border trade in tobacco continued along every border, and efforts put in place to combat it had not been effective, he said.

The minister called for concerted efforts that included border patrols and reviews of the regulatory frameworks of the two countries.

Mwanza underscored the importance of involving tobacco associations, growers, and security personnel in the fight against the illegal trade in tobacco if meaningful results were to be realised.