Retailers' federation seeks presence in tobacco conference

The Federation of Retailer Association of India (FRAI) today urged the government to include their representatives in the Indian delegation to a WHO conference on tobacco control.

The WHO Framework Convention for Tobacco Control(FCTC) Conference of Parties (COP8) will be held in Geneva in October, to be followed by the first Meeting of Parties (MOP1) on the FCTC protocol to eliminate illicit trade in tobacco products.

"FRAI, a representative body of four crore micro, small and medium retailers, with retail associations from across the country as members of the Federation, has requested the Indian Government to allow participation in the upcoming WHO FCTC COP8," the group said in a statement.

As a representative body of the retail trade, FRAI would like to participate in the deliberations of both the conferences as the decisions taken at these meetings would impact livelihood of millions of retailers in the country," the retail players' lobby group said.

According to the draft agenda of COP8, the participating countries will deliberate on Article 17 of WHO FCTC, which concerns measures providing support for economically viable alternative livelihood solutions for tobacco stakeholders, including FRAI members, the FRAI said.

FRAI president Ram Asre Mishra said, "Any decision at COP8 with regards to finding alternative livelihood must take into account the substantial earning accrued to our members from sale of tobacco products and the millions of poor people deriving livelihood from the retail trade."