By Albert Allotey, GNA
Accra, March 24, GNA – The Ghana 2025 Tobacco Industry Interference Index has revealed that although the 2016 Tobacco Control Regulations (L.I 2247) has been launched to give the gives the Minister of Health the authority to issue Code of Conduct for public officials, no such code has been established.
It therefore recommends that the Ministry of Health should urgently operationalise Section 18 of the L.I 2247, to align with Article 5.3 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).
It said, “Section 17 of LI 2247 provided some guidance on restricting public officials from interacting with the tobacco industry, but lacks comprehensiveness and enforceability,” it said.
The Ghana 2025 Tobacco Industry Interference Index has been launched and disseminated this March by the Vision for Accelerated Sustainable Development, Ghana (VAST-Ghana), a public health civil society organisation.
It urged the Ministry to issue enforceable code of conduct that would provide clear guidelines for public officers, contractors, and consultants, in line with Article 5.3 of the WHO FCTC.
It recommended that government officials must be obligated to publicly report and disclose any form of engagement or interaction with the tobacco industry.
It said, “Such disclosures should be made available on official websites or other public platforms to promote accountability and prevent undue influence in policymaking.”
It called on the Ministry to require the tobacco industry to publicly disclose comprehensive information regarding its operations through platforms that are easily accessible, such as official websites.
“Data on market shares, revenues, profits, tax exemptions, and any other privileges or incentives received from the government must be included in the disclosure,” the report added.
It called on the Ministry to start regional discussions to examine and amend current fiscal measures that indirectly favour the tobacco sector such as the FOB discount, duty-free allowances at the ECOWAS level and the exemption from import duties for tobacco goods.
The Global Tobacco Index (GTI) in its summary of key finding on 100 countries presented by Madam Mary Assunta, Head of Global Research and Advocacy, Global Center for Good Governance in Tobacco Control ranked Ghana 38th out of the 100 countries and 11th out of 20 countries in Africa that are implementing laws to address tobacco industry interference.
The GTI is a civil society that review compliance of the guidelines of the implementation of the FCTC Article 5.3 adopted in 2008 by countries.
GNA
Edited by Linda Asante Agyei