In coordination with several organizations from the tax and health spheres, CIAT held on July 10-12 in Panama City an event on “prices, taxes and illegal trading of tobacco products”. The main objective was to discuss aspects dealing with the effective implementation of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) approved by the World Health Organization in May 2003.

On July 10, 2012, the CIAT Executive Secretary, Mr. Márcio F. Verdi, together with representatives from the World Bank, the Pan-American Health Organization, the National Commission for the implementation of the FCTC in Brazil, the Secretariat of the FCTC and the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Panama inaugurated a historical event wherein health and public finance authorities and experts actively discussed experiences regarding measures, in particular those dealing with taxation, for dissuading tobacco consumption.

Present in this event were representatives from several tax administrations of CIAT member countries, among them, Costa Rica, Barbados, Colombia, Peru, Panama, Ecuador, Uruguay, Paraguay, Brazil, Nicaragua and Suriname.

In this regard, CIAT has decided to cooperate with all players involved, to motivate the discussion of the effective implementation of the FCTC, some of whose measures to reduce the demand for tobacco products involve fiscal and pricing policies as provided in its Article 6. This article states that: “The parties recognize that tax and price measures are an effective and important means of reducing tobacco consumption by various segments of the population, in particular, young persons”.

On the other hand, another of the subjects for discussion during the days of the event ,which is of interest to many CIAT tax administrations dealt with Article 15 of the FCTC which states that “the elimination of all forms of illicit trade in tobacco products, including smuggling, illicit manufacturing and counterfeiting are essential components of tobacco control”.

These matters require that the tax administrations of the countries of the world (174 are already members of the FCTC) be informed of the progress achieved in its effective implementation and it is precisely here, wherein CIAT plays an integrating and informative role.

See presentations agenda

Photo of the main table of the opening ceremony, from right to left Ms.Ludmilla Butenko, World Bank Representative in Panama Mr. Nikogosian Haik, Chief of the FCTC Secretariat (Switzerland) Ms.Tania Cavalcante, Coordinator of the Executive Secretariat of the National Commission for the Implementation of the FCTC in Brazil (Conicq) Hon. Franklin Vergara, Minister of Health of Panama Mr. Enrique Perez, Representative of PHO / WHO in Panama Mr. Márcio F. Verdi, CIAT Executive Secretary of the Inter-American Center of Tax Administrations (Panama)