Counterfeit,
illicit habits, false brands and low cost:cigarette traffic explodes, boosted
by the cruel appetite of the tobacco industry. A parallel market which
contributes to the fortune of mafia groups.
Yaounde
urban council, the sky is obscure and the air is fresh, Robert in his twenties stops
by a shopon the public path. In this shop, he does his credit transfer and buys
a packet of cigarette. The park given to him carries no fiscal stamp, but for
Robert, only his toxic dosage matters. Like Robert, many other tobacco users
buy counterfeited products regularly.
Indeed,
for the past two weeks, retail stands have been overwhelmed by counterfeited
cigarettes and low cost brands, not respecting the regulating laws in Cameroon.
This rise in counterfeit and illicit behavior activities around tobacco
products is not without consequences on the economy.
According to a research conducted by the ‘Groupement Inter-Patronal du Cameroun’
(GICAM), almost 29% of cigarette sales emanates from counterfeit sources. The
same study reveals that tax loses and customs loses related to illicit trade of
tobacco amounts to almost 4 Billion Fcfa for the year 2006.
