MAC update

American think-tank tries to intimidate SEATCA On April 21, SEATCA received a letter from Dr. Gary Johns, on behalf of his client, the International Tax and Investment Center (ITIC) which is based in Washington D.C., which is supported by over 100 corporations including the top four transnational tobacco companies.  The letter is riddled with false […]

BAT downsizes in Malaysia but expands in Vietnam On 17 March, British American Tobacco (BAT) Malaysia announced it is shutting down its cigarette manufacturing factory in Petaling Jaya. Although BAT blamed excise tax increases and plans for plain packaging of tobacco for this decision in Malaysia, in reality it is just a strategic business decision to become

Tobacco industry screams grow louder in ASEAN region While governments and civil society in the ASEAN region are stepping up tobacco control efforts, it is making the industry scream louder. Here are recent tobacco control actions that have made the industry ‘scream-o-meter’ go up several notches.   PMI’s ‘crown jewel’ = more disease and deaths

Vietnam: Is TPP a Public Health Threat? There are many chapters in the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement that can be used by harmful industries like the tobacco industry to thwart public health measures. In a Scientific Workshop on the Impact of the TPPA on Environment and Health, SEATCA Senior Policy Advisor, Dr Mary Assunta cautioned Vietnam

Indonesian Finance Ministry asked to revoke award to tobacco industry Jakarta: Indonesia continues to move in the wrong direction on tobacco control. Recently the Ministry of Finance awarded four top tobacco companies for their high tax contributions and for increasing the country’s income from tobacco tax. In reality it is smokers who pay the tobacco

  Indonesia’s tobacco industry interference index launched The high level of tobacco industry interference in Indonesia helps explain why the country is not acceding to the WHO FCTC and lagging behind other countries in implementing basic tobacco control measures. On 15 August, the Indonesian Public Health Association (IAKMI) together with local tobacco control advocates launched

  Tobacco companies minting money while whining to governments April is crucial month for tobacco companies as they declare their quarterly results for 2016 and release their annual reports for 2015. All in all with 125 million smokers in ASEAN the tobacco companies are minting money from selling an addictive product. However they are whining,