Zimbabwe Moves to Tobacco Industry Act

Zimbabwe's cabinet has given the green light to amend the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Act, signaling a significant overhaul of legislation that has long been criticized for being outdated. The move aims to bring the law in line with contemporary industry practices, including contract farming, advanced research methodologies, and modern corporate governance standards.

“

The resulting Act will address the several changes that have occurred in the nature of the industry since the last amendment in 1997.

The current Act, originally enacted in 1977 and last amended in 1997, was designed for a traditional auction-floor system. It has struggled to adapt to sector changes such as contract farming, evolving global health obligations, and new nicotine technologies. Furthermore, the existing legal framework has been found lacking in provisions to address contract breaches and side-marketing, forcing the government to implement temporary measures to close loopholes.

Minister of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Water Resources Development, Dr. Anxious Masuka, presented the amendment principles to the cabinet. He stated that the revised Act will reflect the industry's evolution since 1997. Notably, the Tobacco Research Board will be permitted to operate under a new name that signifies its broadened scope, encompassing research on both manufactured and unmanufactured tobacco products.

“

More specifically, the amendment will allow the Tobacco Research Board to trade under a name which shows its expanded scope, including conducting research on both manufactured and unmanufactured tobacco products.

The proposed amendments are also set to bolster the regulatory authority of the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board. This includes aligning the legislation with the Public Entities and Corporate Governance Act and the Public Finance Management Act. The reforms are driven by the need to accommodate the diverse nature of tobacco and associated crop research and production, enhance farmer support through extension services and capacity building, and provide research services to a wider range of stakeholders.

“

The amendment has been necessitated by the need to reflect the growing and diverse nature of tobacco and associated crops research and production, to provide support to farmers through extension and capacity building, to undertake research on manufactured tobacco and to provide research services to farmers and other stakeholders.