Reports reveals drop in importation of cigarette, cigar.

According to the report, Cameroon imported a total of 2,189.5 tonnes of cigars and cigarettes amounting to over 14 billion FCFA in expenditures showing a 18% decrease in 2022.

Going by the survey done by the National Institute of Statistics, the country imported 2,425.4 tonnes of the said products costing the country over 17.2 billion FCFA.

The figure, the report said, indicates that 236 tonnes decrease and 3.1 billion FCFA decrease in cash.

Despite the decrease in the importation, the country had placed a tougher taxation on the importation of the said products which still remains at its peak of more than 2,000 tons in 2022.

The higher imports in the past years can be attributed to the revised import duties by the 2020 finance law on cosmetics and tobacco products.

With the increase taxation, the product is still dominating markets in Cameroon. Government had issued a ban on the products in 2022.

The new report also revealed that the government is working to reduce the issue of counterfeiting.

This story was first published in The Guardian Post issue No:3149 of Tuesday June 25, 2024