Dili, April 30, 2025 (Média Democracia) – The National Alliance for Tobacco Control of Timor-Leste (ANCT-TL) held a press conference yesterday to present a report. The press conference took place at the Fongtil Hall, Caicoli, Dili.
During the press conference, the Director of ANCT-TL, Sancho Fernandes, stated that based on the results of recent observational research carried out by ANCT-TL, there is a significant presence of illegal tobacco entering the country without following proper administrative or legal procedures, entering both via land and sea borders.
“We observe that the current situation is very serious because our annual surveys have shown a high prevalence of illegal tobacco, which is now widely available and sold at prices even lower than legal tobacco products that follow the standards established by Tobacco Control Law No. 14/2010. Furthermore, ANCT-TL recently observed that certain tobacco companies are importing illegal tobacco through ports and falsifying documents, declaring the product as textiles. Given this, ANCT-TL considers the situation to be extremely grave. According to the normal procedures, tobacco entering Timor-Leste must be declared at least 30 minutes before crossing the border, but in reality, some companies only identify the products as tobacco after they arrive at the port,” said Sancho Fernandes.
He emphasized that, given this situation, ANCT-TL considers the tobacco control system in Timor-Leste to be in a critical condition, demonstrating a lack of effective implementation.
“As a consequence, this year’s data shows that the smoking prevalence has increased to 74.7%, compared to 52% in 2023. This rise is largely attributed to the circulation of illegal tobacco, which remains more accessible even though taxes and prices for legal tobacco have increased. Moreover, illegal tobacco poses a serious threat, particularly to youth, as 10 different types have been identified as targeting young people. This contributes significantly to the rising number of smokers in the country,” added Fernandes.
He also reported that the illegal tobacco trade causes substantial financial losses to the state, particularly from missed tax revenue. For instance, the most recent illegal tobacco importation through the port led to losses of hundreds of thousands of dollars, as revealed through quick identification and capture of the company involved. According to ANCT-TL’s latest research, the state loses nearly five million dollars annually due to illegal tobacco entering through borders.
ANCT-TL put forward the following recommendations to the relevant authorities to prioritize tobacco control:
- The government must enhance the effectiveness of tobacco control efforts as part of a strategy to combat non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as heart disease, stroke, hypertension, and chronic pulmonary diseases. Without investing in tobacco control, these diseases cannot be properly tackled.
- The state should increase investment in NCD prevention, in parallel with investments in clinics and treatment. If not addressed, the mortality rate from these diseases will continue to rise. Statistics show that such diseases have caused over 800 deaths annually since 2012, with no signs of reduction to date.
- Concerning illicit tobacco, ANCT-TL urges the government and relevant ministries to carry out public awareness campaigns about Law No. 14/2016, including special meetings with vendors and importers to explain the law clearly.
- Request to relevant authorities to carry out regular inspections in internal markets, as the law authorizes them to inspect shops and vendors selling tobacco. They also call for stronger border control, as current border surveillance is insufficient to prevent the influx of illicit tobacco.
- Authorities are urged to impose financial penalties in accordance with Decree Law No. 14 and other related civil penalties associated with these crimes.
- Lastly, relevant institutions are requested to follow up on ongoing cases, especially those involving illegal tobacco imports disguised as textiles. Such fraudulent activities must be prevented from recurring.
Reporter: Domingas
Photo: Domingas