Independent grocers across Australia are calling on the federal government to recognise and address the implications of year-on-year increases in tobacco excise amid the ongoing illegal tobacco crisis.
“While the government aims to reduce smoking rates by making legal tobacco less affordable, all they are achieving is shifting more legal tobacco consumers over to illegal products,” said MGA Independent Businesses Australia CEO David Inall.
The illegal tobacco crisis currently gripping much of Australia is now a public conversation with reports of unprecedented levels of illegal cigarettes entering Australia, which are subsequently sold in plain sight.
“Our members live in fear as their businesses continue to be targeted by violent cowards who rob their stores and assault staff, typically with the objective of stealing legal tobacco for on selling into the illegal market,” said Mr Inall.
“It has been reported that more than 90 tobacco businesses have been firebombed in Melbourne over the past 18 months. How this is not a national crisis, we’ll never know.”
By raising the price of legal tobacco, says Mr Inall, the door continues to be pushed open wider-and-wider to those selling illegal product.
“This is a genuine safety issue. Our members, through this organisation, have been ringing the alarm bell around illegal tobacco since 2016,” he said.
“It is outrageous and quite frankly unreasonable to expect state police and border force to arrest this problem on their own. We know the police are doing what they can with the resources available, and they have our full support.
“We are calling on the federal government to engage in a constructive discussion regarding the impact that year-on-year increases in tobacco excise is having on this illegal trade, which is clearly out of control,” Mr Inall concluded.
On 1 September 2024, tobacco excise will increase by another 5%, with the next 5% step up scheduled for 1 September 2025.