Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/550313
74 tobaccoasia CLOSING PAGES 卷尾新闻 WHO SAID WHAT? news agency story, a series of pickets against multinational tobacco companies were staged in a number of Russian cities stretching from the south to the northwest of the country. The protesters seemed to have had a number of grievances, not all of related to the presence of the multinationals in the country. Some were decrying that multinational companies control over 90% of the Russian tobacco market. Others, however, complained that the Russian budget was missing out on some 500 billion rubles in excise taxes each year because of what they described as low excise duties on tobacco. Picketers in Saratov, a city on the River Volga, were demanding that the BAT-STF tobacco factory, owned by British American Tobacco, be relocated beyond the city limits. The picket in front of the Philip Morris Kuban factory in the southern city of Krasnodar put forth a conspiracy theory that accused Western companies of purposefully making cigarettes of very low quality and of adding highly addictive substances to them. Indonesia New g.m. for Star Tobacco Effective August 1, 2014, Henri Kusuma is promoted to the position of general manager, Indonesian region reporting to group c.e.o. Dr Iqbal Lambat. In his new role, he will manage all aspects of Star Tobacco operations in Indonesia as the company fully establishes its management offices in Denpasar, Bali and its strategic stocks depot in Jember, East Java. Indonesia has become the third largest tobacco market in the world, with total consumption exceeding that of the Middle East and Africa combined. Indonesia is also a major Asian producer of different tobacco varieties. Henri Kusuma studied management and accounting at the Mataram University and Gunung Rinjani University. He has over 18 years of experience in the Indonesian tobacco industry including a position with Alliance One. He joined Star Tobacco in May 2013 in the role of Business Development Manager, Asian Region. Of Indonesian origin, he speaks fluent Bahasa and English. Kusuma will also sit on the group executive committee. Thailand/Indonesia New managers for BOBST BOBST has announced that it recently appointed two new area sales managers who have joined its business unit web-fed sales force in Southeast Asia. The appointment follows BOBST's deci- sion to represent its web-fed products and services in Indonesia and Thailand directly, after termination of the agency agreement with its agent of 10 years Techno Global Graphics effective from June 30, 2014. Weerawat Tewintarapakti and Antonius Koban have joined Bobst Thailand Limited and PT Bobst Jakarta respectively and are responsible for sales of BOBST web-fed machinery and products. These include equipment for gravure printing, flexo printing, lamina- tion, coating for specialties and vacuum metallizing for flexible materials, extrusion coating & laminating for flexible packaging, paper and board, as well as web-fed gravure printing and inline converting machines for folding carton. Both have a proven track record in their prior positions with various companies in Asia and bring excellent knowledge and experience in various sectors of the packaging market. Vietnam VTA's 25th anniversary The Vietnam Tobacco Association (VTA) celebrated its 25th Anniversary in August 2014, marking the occasion with the receipt of the First Class Labor Medal from the Vietnamese government. Established in 1989, VTA is the bridge between tobacco enterprises and government bodies, and has grown from 25 members to 64 members. It is a member of the Cooperation Center for Scientific Research Relative to Tobacco (CORESTA). Over the past 25 years, VTA has achieved major accomplishments including setting-up a sustainable tobacco-growing region; creating more than two million jobs with stable income; positively contributing to the socio-economic development, industrial- ization and modernization of the country; developing business activities based on information technology and modern facilities; and pioneering the implementation of social security and social responsibilities. Vietnam's tobacco industry has contributed positively to the State budget with a yearly growth rate of 20%. Tax contributions increased by nearly 200% after 25 years, valued at US$1 billion in 2013. Tobacco export is increasing both in scale and value. For 25 years, the export growth rate has been approximately 20% per annum. In 2013, export turnover was more than US$185 million. Many Vietnamese cigarette brands have established a presence in other countries of Asia and Africa. The Vietnam National Tobacco Corporation (Vinataba) is the VTA member that plays a key role in this achievement as Vinataba's export volume has now reached more than 1 billion packs, valued at more than US$165 million per year. "[Taxes on tobacco, alcohol, and gambling] are rarely raised too high as to seriously deter purchase. They are better seen as stealth taxes." - Author of "Velvet Glove, Iron Fist", a history of anti-smoking movements.