The Health Protection Agency (HPA) has announced that 209 businesses have been granted licences for the sale of tobacco products, following a formal application and review process introduced under recent legislative changes.

This development follows the enforcement of the First Amendment to the Tobacco Control Act in November last year. Under the amended legislation, the sale of tobacco products is permitted only with special authorisation. The application process for obtaining such permission officially opened in April, with a three-month deadline set, ending on 17 July.

According to the HPA, a total of 767 applications were submitted for licences. Of these, verification has been completed for 652 applications. Licences have been issued to 209 applicants, following assessments. 

The HPA stated that applicants fell into four specific categories. These included 608 businesses applying for licences to sell cigarettes, 15 seeking registration of new tobacco products, 28 applying for licences to import tobacco, and one business applying for a re-export licence.

While many applications have been processed, 244 forms have yet to be reviewed due to failure to meet the specified criteria. A further 177 applications are set to be revised following additional review.

Each tobacco licence is valid for a five-year period. Businesses must apply for renewal within 60 days of the licence's expiry date to remain compliant.

Under the general rules of tobacco control, individuals or businesses found dealing in tobacco products without valid authorisation face significant penalties. The fine for a first offence is set at MVR 50,000, with repeat violations incurring a fine of MVR 100,000 for each subsequent offence.