MEDFA confirms support for tobacco campaign

Dermot Davitt

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The association pledges its backing for the battle to defend duty-free tobacco from the WHO threat

Senior members of the Middle East Duty Free Association (MEDFA) have confirmed their full support for the campaign to defend global duty-free tobacco sales against the threat of abolition posed by the World Health Organisation's (WHO) tobacco treaty. The campaign is being coordinated by the European Travel Retail Council and its secretary-general Keith Spinks.

At a special lunch held on the first day of the recent MEDFA Conference in Dubai, Spinks briefed senior regional company executives on the status of the tobacco treaty. He also gave an update on campaign activities being undertaken by the industry across the globe.

MEDFA members acknowledged that the WHO would almost certainly be targeting the region. Although there had been no indications of any immediate threat, Spinks commented on a regional meeting in Egypt at the end of 2003, hosted by the WHO and attended by government representatives from across the Middle East, where action against duty-free tobacco sales had been on the agenda.

On behalf of MEDFA, then president Mohamed Mounib confirmed that the association would monitor closely developments across the region so that the trade would not be caught unawares. Spinks agreed to provide the team with a complete package of campaign best practices and argumentation in Arabic. This will support any representation that MEDFA companies may decide to make to local governments.

Spinks said he was confident the trade would now be better prepared to face any potential threat to duty-free tobacco in the Middle East.