The Ministry of Health has opened applications for tobacco trade licenses, granting a three-month period for compliance under the Tobacco Control Act.
The Ministry will issue four categories of licenses:
- Retail or wholesale sales of tobacco products
- Import of tobacco products
- Re-export of tobacco products
- Registration of new tobacco products
Each license is valid for five years and must be renewed upon expiration. A fee of MVR 5,000 applies for retail/wholesale licenses, while MVR 10,000 applies for import, re-export, and product registration licenses.
Applications are to be submitted via the Vangaavu Portal, and the Health Protection Agency will process them. All entities currently engaged in tobacco trade must obtain the necessary licenses within three months from today.