$50BN lost annually through illicit tobacco trade

According to the Framework Convention Alliance, illicit trade in cigarettes is estimated at approximately 10.7 percent of global sales, or 600 billion cigarettes annually, while global losses in government revenue as a result of illicit trade in all tobacco products is estimated at approximately $40 billion to $50 billion or(381 billion) annually.

In a workshop on The Economics of Tobacco Control in Southern Africa held in Gaborone recently, Bontle Mbongwe, spokesperson for the Anti-tobacco Network in Botswana argued that weak control policies have encouraged the tobacco industry to shift its attention to the African continent. "The challenges for tobacco control in Africa are a result of the weak tobacco control policies which have encouraged the tobacco industry to shift its attention to the African continent," she said.