Dili, 23 May 2026 (Media Democracia) – National Tobacco Control Alliance Timor-Leste (ANCT-TL) Concerned About Illicit Cigarette Transactions and New Tobacco Products Brand ASSKHA
The National Tobacco Control Alliance Timor-Leste (ANCT-TL) considers that Timor-Leste faces a major challenge in public health, as a consequence of the prevalence of mortality and the sharp rise in diseases, especially non-communicable diseases.
The Executive Director of the National Tobacco Control Alliance, Sancho Fernandes, stated that Timor-Leste faces a major challenge in public health, as a consequence of the prevalence of mortality and diseases rising sharply.
“Such as chronic respiratory diseases, heart attacks, stroke or hemiplegia, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, cancer, and kidney disease. Data shows the prevalence of disease cases or admissions for these diseases exceeds 30,000 patients per year, and the mortality rate has also been high since 2012,” said the Executive Director of the National Tobacco Control Alliance, Sancho Fernandes, during a press conference at the ANCT-TL Office in Bairo-Pite on Friday.
The ANCT-TL Director said the mortality rate has been steadily increasing since 2019, showing 45% mortality of the total mortality rate for all diseases, and in 2024 the mortality rate rose to 53%. Of this total, 23% are Timorese who died at a young or productive age (WHO NCD Monitor Report 2024).
He said these situations scientifically occur due to risk factors, similar to other factors.
“Related to unhealthy lifestyles, such as high tobacco smoking at 40.5%, alcohol use at 45.4%, unhealthy diets, lack of physical activity and stress that is not well managed, and lack of sleep or rest,” he said.
Also due to metabolic risk factors that are not treated early, such as obesity, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and high cholesterol.
The National Tobacco Control Alliance, during 10 years of work, has observed that some challenges related to tobacco control have been addressed by the government, but other challenges continue to occur without comprehensive intervention.
“Such as illicit cigarette transactions in high quantities continuing to be smuggled illegally through sea and land borders from neighboring country Indonesia, and sold by almost all economic operator entities, along with the presence of new tobacco products with the brand ASSKHA,” he informed.
The Executive Director said the ASSKHA tobacco brand, which is commercialized by some religious entities, including economic operators, is sold to the public including children, pregnant women, people with illnesses, and others, who consume it with the perception that this cigarette is healthy or can cure their internal illnesses.
In addition, ASSKHA brand cigarettes imported into Timor-Leste do not comply with the standardization of Decree-Law No. 14/2016, so ANCT asks the Government of Timor-Leste to strengthen control at the border.
“It would be better to penalize the act of bringing illegal cigarettes into Timor-Leste to educate the community to be more civilized,” Sancho added.
ANCT-TL also asked the inspection authorities, according to the decree-law, and the PNTL to continue carrying out regular inspections of illicit tobacco being commercialized in Timor-Leste territory.
“I ask the Ministry responsible for Commerce and Economy Affairs to disseminate Decree-Law No. 14/2016 on the Tobacco Control Regime and other laws relevant to economic operators to give them knowledge, to protect their business from fines and loss of revenue,” he said.
In addition, he recommended that the Ministry of Health conduct laboratory testing of ASSKHA cigarettes to provide proof to the community to prevent negative consequences for public health that could burden the state and people in the future.
Reporting: Estefánia Cardoso
Photo: Estefánia Cardoso