Tobacco consortium charts way forward with a joint roadmap towards progressive tobacco tax systems in Africa

The African Tobacco Tax Consortium is making significant strides in its mission to advocate for progressive tobacco taxation systems in Africa. With the joint efforts of key partners, including Tax Justice Network Africa (TJNA), the World Health Organization (WHO), the Economics of Excisable Products Research Unit (REEP) at the University of Cape Town, and the African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF), the consortium has formulated a comprehensive roadmap to guide their activities.

During the inaugural consortium strategy meeting in Diani, Kenya, representatives from partner institutions came together to solidify their commitment to driving tax reforms in the tobacco industry. A primary focus of their efforts is to enhance revenue collection on tobacco products while also prioritizing public health in Africa. Leveraging tax models such as TaXSiM and TETSiM, the consortium aims to create a unified message for African governments and align their communications with revenue authorities and civil society organizations.

Ms Chenai Mukumba, Acting Executive Director at Tax Justice Network Africa, emphasized the vital role of taxation as the most sustainable source of financing for revenue and its significant impact on the economy. Highlighting the need for greater consideration of the tobacco sector in taxation, she stressed the importance of leveraging the diverse strengths of various institutions to effect change throughout the continent.

"We must actively leverage our advantages in various spaces to advocate for change in the tobacco sector. I firmly believe that by joining forces, we can deliver a synchronized message to reform Africa's tobacco tax strategy," she stated.

The Tobacco Tax Advocacy in Africa (TTAA) project is a testament to the consortium's ongoing commitment to reducing tobacco consumption and generating revenue for African governments. The project aims to strengthen advocacy towards tobacco tax policy as an effective means of capturing significant revenue, reducing the healthcare burden associated with tobacco use, and safeguarding public health.

Additionally, the consortium aims to shift the perspective surrounding multinational tobacco companies, calling into question their legitimacy as stakeholders in policy discussions due to the harm they cause to countries and their deceptive tax avoidance tactics.

To drive reforms in the tobacco sector, the consortium has outlined key strategies such as capacity building, technical assistance, evidence-based research, coalition building, and policy advocacy. WHO, ATAF and UCT-REEP have been instrumental in promoting simple, fair, and progressive tobacco tax systems in Africa, and the consortium meeting provided an avenue for them to devise a strategy and roadmap for effective government engagement. Initial efforts are being directed towards Zambia, Kenya, The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and Senegal.

The significance of expert contributions from civil society organizations, inter-governmental institutions, and academic bodies in advocating for tobacco tax reforms cannot be overstated. By collectively striving for change, these stakeholders aim to improve health outcomes and alleviate the tax burden on African societies.

For those seeking more information about the African Tobacco Tax Consortium and its endeavours, they can reach out to Rodgers Kidiya at rkidiya@taxjusticeafrica.net.