马新咖啡茶业联合总

马新咖啡茶业联合总会总会长拿督何子孟说: 管制令是非法贸易的福音。 合法香烟不是必需品，所以在管制令期间 合法香烟卖完了在没有机会被供应.国家有五万烟民在没有合法香烟的情况下他们只好去买地下烟。我们总会已去函,要求政府放松条例使零售业能向香烟公司购买合法香烟来应付顾客的要求。希望政府能给于考虑 否则非法香烟会越来越猖獗,不只是我们咖啡店面对这样的问题。其他零售业 好像杂货商， 印度餐饮业 等都面对同样的问题。

MCO a boon to illicit cigarette trade, say business groups.
PETALING JAYA: Several business organisations have alleged that restrictions under the movement control order (MCO) have led to a dramatic rise in the sale of cigarettes smuggled into the country.Speaking to FMT, spokesmen for two of the organisations said their customers, unable to buy cigarettes on which tax has been paid, had told them they had turned to the black market.Ho Su Mong, the president of the Malaysia and Singapore Coffeeshop Association, said his group had informed the National Economic Action Council that its 20,000-odd members had run out of cigarettes to sell.He said smokers had told him they were now buying easily available illicit cigarettes.Hong Chee Meng, who heads the Federation of Sundry Goods Merchants Association of Malaysia, said he too had spoken to smokers who admitted that they were buying smuggled cigarettes at RM5 to RM7 per pack of 20.Cigarettes are not on the list of essential items and suppliers cannot distribute them to shops under the MCO.According to the National Health and Morbidity Survey, about five million Malaysians, or 22.8% of the population, are smokers.Ho said his association appealed to the government last week to allow new supplies of cigarettes.T Muthusamy, the president of the Malaysian Indian Restaurant Owners Association, said there was a readily available market for contraband cigarettes.“Since there are no more cigarettes in the shops, smokers are looking for illicit ones,” he said.Malaysian International Chamber of Commerce and Industry executive director Shaun Edward Cheah said the trade in illicit cigarettes had been going on for a long time but had picked up since the MCO came into effect.He urged Putrajaya to allow manufacturers to distribute stock to retailers to stop smokers from looking for contraband.In February, JT International Bhd, a member of the Japan Tobacco Group, said the illegal cigarette trade accounted for 62.3% of total cigarette sales in Malaysia last year.

Rokok seludup untung besar semasa PKP, kata persatuan peniaga.
PETALING JAYA: Beberapa persatuan perniagaan mendakwa pelaksanaan perintah kawalan pergerakan (PKP) menyaksikan peningkatan besar aktiviti penyeludupan rokok ke negara ini.Bercakap kepada FMT, jurucakap 2 persatuan itu berkata, pelanggan mereka, yang gagal membeli rokok bercukai, beralih kepada rokok di pasaran gelap.Presiden Persatuan Kedai Kopi Malaysia dan Singapura Ho Su Mong berkata, kumpulannya memaklumkan kepada Majlis Tindakan Ekonomi Negara bahawa lebih 20,000 ahli persatuan itu telah kehabisan bekalan rokok untuk dijual.Beliau berkata, perokok memberitahunya bahawa mereka kini membeli rokok seludup yang mudah diperolehi.Ahli persatuan itu kehilangan 30% perniagaan mereka kepada peniaga haram, katanya.Ketua Persekutuan Persatuan Peniaga Kedai Runcit Malaysia Hong Chee Meng berkata, beliau juga bercakap dengan perokok yang memberitahu mereka membeli rokok seludup pada harga RM5 hingga RM7 untuk pek 20 batang.Rokok tidak termasuk dalam senarai barangan perlu dan pembekal tidak boleh mengedarkannya ke kedai semasa PKP.Menurut Kajian Kesihatan dan Morbiditi Kebangsaan, kira-kira 5 juta atau 22.8% penduduk negara ini merokok.Ho berkata, minggu lepas, persatuannya membuat rayuan kepada kerajaan supaya membenarkan bekalan baru rokok diedarkan.Presiden Persatuan Pemilik Restoran India Malaysia T Muthusamy berkata, pasaran bagi rokok seludup memang sedia ada.“Oleh sebab tidak ada lagi rokok di kedai, perokok beralih kepada rokok haram,” katanya.Pengarah eksekutif Dewan Perniagaan dan Industri Antarabangsa Malaysia Shaun Edward Cheah berkata, aktiviti perniagaan rokok seludup telah lama wujud, tetapi semakin bertambah sejak PKP bermula pada 18 Mac lepas.Beliau meminta Putrajaya membenarklan pengilang mengedarkan stok mereka kepada peruncit bagi menyekat perokok daripada membeli rokok seludup.Pada Februari, JT International Bhd, anggota Kumpulan Tembakau Jepun berkata, rokok seludup mewakili 62.3% daripada jumlah rokok yang dijual di negara ini tahun lepas.