ASOG, DOH hosted webinar on the nexus of illicit tobacco trade and COVID-19

Manila, Philippines –The Ateneo School of Government (ASOG) and the Department of Health (DOH) co-organized a webinar titled “The Nexus of Illicit Tobacco Trade and COVID-19” on September 27, 2021, which tackled different causes and measures of illicit tobacco trade (ITT), the impact of pandemic to ITT, and the capacity of countries to combat ITT. Keynote speakers from various organizations involved in improving tobacco control policies presented data on the global illicit tobacco and the compounding effect it has on the ongoing global pandemic, and the various losses countries incur should they postpone dealing with it. The webinar is part of the Advancing Tobacco Taxation in Southeast Asia (ATT-SEA) research project, which aims to improve tobacco tax implementation and tobacco control interventions in the Philippines and other Southeast Asian countries by addressing the current knowledge gaps and strengthening research on tobacco tax evasion and illicit tobacco trade in the region. The project is being implemented by ASOG through financial support from Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and Cancer Research UK (CRUK).
 
The webinar started with a presentation on “Illicit tobacco trade: a trans-global problem” by Ceren Ozer, a senior governance specialist from World Bank Group. Here, Ms. Ozer discussed the current situation of illicit trade globally and the problem that current data sources have in estimating it. She emphasized the importance of addressing the issue along with tobacco tax legislation in improving a country’s populational health and governance, with the first steps to that goal being her recommendations to strengthen track-and-trace systems as well as trade zone regulations.
 
Mr. Jeremias Paul Jr. from World Health Organization (WHO) followed with a discussion on “The Role of Tobacco Taxation and Strengthened Tax Administration in Addressing Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products”, which reaffirms the economic importance of investing in innovative systems to combat illicit trade and bounce back from economic losses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. By presenting tobacco taxation and its importance alongside the dubious evidence coming from industry-supported studies on the topic, Mr. Paul pushed the need for stronger tax administration to fill in gaps caused by inequities in the current health system and the burdens that result from them. He also reminded the tobacco control advocates, policymakers, legislators and government officials to not be scared and distracted of tobacco industry tactics.
 
Next was a research presentation by Dr. Valerie Ulep, ASOG senior researcher, on “Measuring the capacity to combat illicit tobacco trade” which underscored the importance of constructing an illicit tobacco trade index across 160 countries. Alongside emphases on tobacco tax administration and its importance in the current context of the pandemic, Dr. Ulep presented a diagnostic tool that countries can use to gauge their capacities and address gaps within their systems via an index that takes into account indices of governance, tobacco taxation, and trade regulations.
 
Last but not the least, the head of Task for on Illicit Trade unit of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Mr. Piotr Stryszowski, discussed “OECD in combatting illicit trade at the time of COVID-19 crisis” which presented measures that the European region has in place to address ITT  amidst the current pandemic. Alongside the ITT index, Mr. Stryszowski hoped help other countries strengthen their own capabilities to address these issues and ultimately improve populational health and tax revenue through the measures and examples being done but in the European region.
 
To wrap up the presentations, discussants namely, Dr. Beverly Ho, Director from DOH and Mr. John Sevilla, former chief or Bureau of Customs,  shared key takeaways from the topics discussed including the importance of a whole-of-government approach, the multi-faceted nature of illicit tobacco trade, and the far-reaching effects of addressing the issue. To top off the session,  a presentation on the current capacities of the country’s health system is made, setting the stage for what will be the start of the next steps to take to improve our own health outcomes.