Ban plastic cigarette lighters imports, save domestic matchbox industry: Tamil Nadu CM

Concerned over the future of matchbox making industry in Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister M K Stalin on Thursday urged the Centre to immediately ban single use plastic cigarette lighters and safeguard the livelihood of over a lakh people in the State.

These plastic cigarette lighters, which are legally and illegally imported from countries like China, are available for Rs 10 and can substitute 20 matchboxes. Further, these non-refillable lighters result in immense plastic waste, damaging the environment and also impacting health, he argued.

"If imported cigarette lighters continue to capture the market, then over a lakh people in Tamil Nadu engaged in this industry will lose their livelihood," Stalin said in a letter addressed to Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal.

The matchbox manufacturing industry is a major source of employment in the southern part of Tamil Nadu. This traditional industry employs over a lakh people directly and majority of the employees are women, he noted.

"The industry is a vital engine of economic growth in a region that is arid for agriculture. You will be already aware that the matchbox industry earns foreign exchange revenue of around Rs 400 crore through exports," the Chief Minister pointed out.

At present, the industry is going through a very difficult phase facing stiff challenges from Pakistan and Indonesia in the export markets. The supply chain disruptions following the COVID pandemic have increased the cost and logistic difficulties associated with exports. Also, there has been a huge increase in input costs, Stalin explained.

Against this backdrop, the industry is fast losing its domestic market due to competition from single use plastic cigarette lighters, which are legally and illegally imported from countries like China.

"I, therefore, urge your urgent intervention in this matter and I request you to immediately ban the import of such single use plastic cigarette lighters and also to take stringent action against illegal imports," the CM stated.

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