About $21,5 million collected under the Tobacco Levy since
2015 has not been disbursed as the tobacco industry battles to meet the 2020
Global Tobacco Cigarette Companies Guidelines on producing the crop in a
sustainable way.
The Global Tobacco Cigarette Companies Guidelines state
that as from 2020, international buyers will no longer be accepting tobacco
that has not been produced in a sustainable manner, including that which is
cured using coal.
Government introduced the levy, meant for afforestation, in
January 2015 and it was levied on all tobacco farmers at a rate of 1,5 percent
in the first year and 0,75 percent in subsequent years and to date $21,5
million has been raised.
The fund was meant to ensure farmers adopt afforestation
programmes and remain competitive and relevant to the global cigarette
industry.
Tobacco producers, mostly smallholder farmers who rely on
firewood to cure their crop complained that they should have benefited from the
fund and established woodlots but are not clear of how to access the money or
how it was managed.
Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board chairperson Mrs Monica
Chinamasa blamed the delays in the distribution of the fund to administrative
bottlenecks.
“Farmers are fighting to meet the global market
requirements but bureaucratic bottlenecks have come into play. We were told the
funds must have a constitution that is passed by Parliament and it dragged on
and on.
“Before the new Cabinet, three ministers responsible for
Lands, Environment and Agriculture met and agreed that all the money should
move to the Ministry of Agriculture then TIMB would access that money for farmers
to grow trees as they know the growers.
“It is critical that our farmers grow trees or else the
global market will not buy our tobacco,” she said.
Government has authorised the Forestry Commission to handle
50 percent of the levy for afforestation.
Forestry Commission information and communications manager
Ms Violet Makoto said the parastatal was allocated 50 percent of the levy to
fund production of seedlings and effectively undertake forestry extension
services in the tobacco growing regions.
“The Forestry Commission has targeted to raise 25 million
gum tree seedlings and 5 million assorted tree seedlings of fast growing tree
species that can provide fuelwood.
“For an effective implementation of the programme Forestry
Commission requires a total funding outlay of $5 913 270 of which about $3 345
333 is needed in the first quarter of the year.
“Any delay in availing these funds means that tree planting
targets for the season will be missed,” she said. Herald
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