19 Nov 2020

Parliament has been informed that the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry does not have specific regulations dealing with harmful substances.

However, the assistant Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry, Mr Molebatsi Molebatsi noted that the importation and trading of human-health related harmful substances were elaborated and regulated by the Ministry of Health and Wellness.

Regulation for harmful substances, which he said included salt, stipulated that the food-grade salt shall be iodated by the manufacturer (for public health reasons) to prevent iodine deficiency disorders such as goitre.

Regarding sugar, he said the health ministry does not have laws that regulated its standards, while tobacco was regulated under the Tobacco Control Act of 2004 that stipulates a smoking policy.

Mr Molebatsi said alcohol sale and distribution was regulated under the Liquor Act of 2008, which mainly dealt with its licensing, while for the intoxicating liquor manufactured locally, products were subjected to testing by Ministry of Health and Wellness under the Food Control Act.

He further informed Parliament that the government had domesticated the World Trade Organisation (WTO) General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT).

Also, he said, the WTO supported countries to adopt measures necessary to protect human, animal and plant life or health under Article XX of the GATT on General Exceptions. 

He said health-related measures were provided for within the scope of Sanitary and Phyto-sanitary issues, which were provided for in other regional trade agreements.

Mr Molebatse was responding to a question from Jwaneng-Mabutsane MP, Mr Mephato Reatile who had wanted the minister to state if there were any trade regulations that support health initiatives regarding harmful substances such as salt, sugar, alcohol and tobacco.

He also wanted to know whether such initiatives were supported by domestic and international law and if so, what such instruments were. Ends