By ISMIAL MUSA LADU
Posted Friday, May 17 2013 at 01:
Posted Friday, May 17 2013 at 01:
In Summary
Ban. A Kenyan tobacco firm claimed it was banned from transiting its Supermatch cigarettes through Uganda.
A senior ministry official has denied claims
that the government banned Kenya’s cargo from passing through its
territory in an attempt to shield the manufacturing sector from regional
competition, particularly from Kenya.
The ministry of Trade Permanent Secretary (PS), Mr
Julius Onene, in an interview yesterday also refuted claims that the
government has a plot to block Kenyan companies from accessing South
Sudan and other regional markets through issuing export transit
ban—stopping other countries goods from being transported through
Uganda.
Early this week, a Kenyan tobacco firm, Mastermind
Tobacco (K) Ltd claimed in a press statement that it was banned from
transiting its Supermatch cigarettes through Uganda to various export
destinations namely South Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan,
Rwanda, Burundi and Chad.
The statement issued by Continental Tobacco, a
subsidiary of Mastermind Tobacco in Uganda, said the major reason for
the ban is to give undue advantage in terms of competition to the
Ugandan industry players, particularly a Ugandan company, Leaf Tobacco
& Commodities Co. Ltd.
And consequently the company has been losing
export sales to the tune of $2 million every month, the statement reads.
The same statement said despite Continental Tobacco paying all its
dues, the competition has ganged up to edge it off the industry after
successfully influencing the Ministry of Trade, Industry and
Co-operatives, to withdraw its licences on the grounds that it owes
interest on late payment of farmers’ dues for their tobacco crop
delivered in 2011.
Mr Onen in an interview yesterday described the
statement issued by the tobacco company as baseless saying: “I met them
(Continental Tobacco) yesterday and I told them that the statement was
the most unfortunate thing. It contained no fact.”
He continued: “They (Continental Tobacco) have not fulfilled all the conditions, including paying the farmers.”
He continued: “They (Continental Tobacco) have not fulfilled all the conditions, including paying the farmers.”
The Continental Tobacco license was revoked on
October 30, 2012 for non-payment of outstanding dues after the
parliamentary committee on agriculture’s report faulted Continental
Tobacco for failing to pay about Shs26.3 billion to tobacco farmers in
the 2011 season.
No comments :
Post a Comment