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Tag: Vanuatu

  • Vanuatu Eyes Single Cigarette Sales

    Vanuatu Eyes Single Cigarette Sales

    Vanuatu health authorities intensified enforcement of the ban on single cigarette sales, imposing fines of up to VT700,000 ($5,740) for individuals and VT4 million ($32,800) for businesses found in violation. Compliance officers are targeting retailers selling “single sticks,” incorporating tobacco control into routine inspections and acting through confiscations and destruction of illicit products.

    Officials say the crackdown aims to curb youth access, as single-cigarette sales make tobacco more affordable and accessible to minors despite rising pack prices. Authorities are also reinforcing regulations requiring full-pack sales and age verification, alongside public awareness efforts including warning signage at retail points.

  • Vanuatu MP Plans First Cigarette Factory, Pushes Tobacco as Export Crop

    Vanuatu MP Plans First Cigarette Factory, Pushes Tobacco as Export Crop

    Vanuatu’s MP Jesse Luo is driving plans to establish the nation’s first cigarette factory under his company Golden Leaf, positioning tobacco as a high-value commercial crop for export. After years of trials, Luo said tobacco has proven viable in Vanuatu, with one hectare yielding up to VT100,000 ($833) for farmers in just three and a half months. Golden Leaf will distribute free seeds and technical support, purchasing harvested leaves for processing.

    The factory is slated to open in late 2025 or early 2026, with 99% of output targeted for overseas markets. Samples sent to Singapore for testing have received positive early feedback on quality and storage potential, according to officials. Luo said the initiative aims to reduce reliance on seasonal work abroad by strengthening domestic agriculture.

    “Agriculture is our foundation, and tobacco farming can be one of the industries that helps us move forward,” he said.