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JTI RESEARCH: £9.3 BILLION LOST TO ILLEGAL TOBACCO, BUT LOCAL COUNCILS REFUSE TO ACT

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  • At least 9 councils nationwide conducted 0 investigations and had 0 prosecutions for illegal or counterfeit tobacco from 2018 to 2022.
  • Over this five-year period, Rochdale, Havering, and Kingston upon Thames were amongst the councils refusing to act.
  • Some councils, such as Hull, carried out over 249 investigations in the same time period, resulting in 53 criminal prosecutions.
  • HMRC estimate that since 2018, £9.3 billion in tax revenue1 has been lost due to illegal tobacco to cigarettes and hand-rolling tobacco.

LONDON, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — New research published today has found that at least 9 local authorities nationwide did not start a single investigation into the sale of illegal or counterfeit tobacco products from 2018 to 2022. The 9 authorities were: Calderdale, East Dunbartonshire, Isle of Anglesey County Council, Rochdale, Havering, Lambeth, City of London, Kingston upon Thames, and York.

Other councils, such as Hull, have taken robust action to tackle the issue, with 249 investigations and 53 prosecutions, more than any other council. Middlesbrough were also relatively active in this area, with 416 investigations, and 15 prosecutions.

Freedom of Information requests sent to 96 councils across England and Wales, show significant variation between the approaches taken by local councils. Councils in London (Kingston), Manchester (Rochdale), Wales (Isle of Anglesey County Council), and Scotland (East Dunbartonshire) were amongst those taking no action.

A lack of action by these councils will undoubtedly lead to increased sales of illegal tobacco, which is often linked to organised crime, a blight on local communities and contributing to the large tobacco tax gap. This gap, as estimated by HMRC, is the difference between the amount of tax that should, in theory, be paid to HMRC, and what is actually paid. Since 2018, £9.3 billion in tax revenue has been lost in this way. In 2021-22, alone, the tax gap was £2.2 billion.

According to the Police Federation, £2.2 billion could pay for more than 77,000 new police officers.2

Freedom of Information Requests were sent to a sample of 96 councils, asking them for the data below.

Commenting on the data, Sarah Connor, Communications Director at JTI UK, said:

“Some councils’ poor enforcement of existing laws raises doubts about their ability and capacity to enforce a more complex generational ban. Illegal tobacco is already a significant issue, and the generational ban has the potential to worsen this, by driving adult smokers to buy cigarettes from organised gangs.”

Top performers

Local Authority

 

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Location

 

 

The number of investigations the Council has initiated into the sale of illegal or counterfeit tobacco products (2018-2022)

The number of successful prosecutions the council has secured regarding the sale of illegal or counterfeit tobacco products (2018-2022)

Middlesbrough Council

Teesside

416

15

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Newham

London Borough

256

0

Hull

 

Yorkshire and Humber region

249

53

Newport City Council

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Wales

173

7

Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council

Wales

 

172

18

Stockport

Manchester

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172

2

Manchester

Manchester

161

18

Waltham Forest

London Borough

156

6

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Doncaster

 

Yorkshire and Humber region

93

27

Bottom of the league

Local Authority

Location

The number of investigations the Council has initiated into the sale of illegal or counterfeit tobacco products (2018-2022)

The number of successful prosecutions the council has secured regarding the sale of illegal or counterfeit tobacco products (2018-2022)

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Calderdale

 

Yorkshire and Humber region

0

0

East Dunbartonshire

Scotland

0

0

Isle of Anglesey County Council

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Wales

 

0

0

Rochdale

Manchester

0

0

Havering

London Borough

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0

0

Lambeth

London Borough

0

0

City of London

London Borough

0

0

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Kingston upon Thames

London Borough

 

0

0

York

 

Yorkshire and Humber region

0

0

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For further information, please contact:
Sarah Connor
[email protected]

Full source data is available upon request.

1 This figure is the sum of HMRC’s tobacco duty gap, which includes cigarettes and hand-rolling tobacco, for the last five years. These figures are available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/measuring-tax-gaps/3-tax-gaps-excise-including-alcohol-tobacco-and-oils#tobacco
2 A newly appointed constable, after 01/09/23 would earn £28,551. (https://www.polfed.org/resources/pay-scales/constable-pay-scales/)

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Fintech PR

BitGo Appoints Brett Reeves as Head of European Sales Complementing his Go Network Role

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PALO ALTO, Calif., Jan. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — BitGo, the leading digital asset infrastructure solutions provider since 2013, is pleased to announce that Brett Reeves has been appointed Head of European Sales, a role he takes on in addition to his existing position as Head of Go Network. His new title is Head of Go Network and European Sales.

Brett joined in May 2024 and has since then overseen the expansion of BitGo’s presence in Europe, which includes onboarding new clients and partners and expanding the volume and scope of business across multiple jurisdictions within the European Union and UK.

Brett Reeves, Head of Go Network and European Sales, said:

“Since joining BitGo last year, it has been an intense and rewarding journey. Alongside growing the business our focus has been on obtaining the necessary licenses to achieve MiCA compliance, ensuring we are fully prepared for a comprehensive rollout of our Custody, Wallets, Staking, Trading and Financing services across Europe. With a growing team and increasing demand for secure, well-regulated digital asset solutions, we are highly optimistic about the opportunities 2025 holds for us.”

Brett has twenty years’ experience in the financial services industry having worked at Citibank, Nomura and Standard Chartered Bank. His background includes working within Prime Brokerage and OTC teams within the FX and interest rates markets. Most recently Brett was the Head of Business Development at the Bequant, a regulated digital asset Prime Broker.

About BitGo
BitGo is the leading infrastructure provider of digital asset solutions, offering custody, wallets, staking, trading, financing, and settlement out of regulated cold storage. Founded in 2013, BitGo is the first digital asset company to focus exclusively on serving institutional clients. BitGo is dedicated to advancing a digital financial services economy that is borderless and accessible 24/7. With multiple Trust companies around the world, BitGo is the preferred security and operational backbone for more than 1,500 institutional clients in 50 countries, including many of the world’s top brands, cryptocurrency exchanges, and platforms. BitGo also secures approximately 20% of all on-chain Bitcoin transactions by value and is the largest independent digital asset custodian.

W: https://www.bitgo.uk/
L: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bitgo/
X: https://x.com/BitGo

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/bitgo-appoints-brett-reeves-as-head-of-european-sales-complementing-his-go-network-role-302350962.html

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Markel elevates Wanshi Lin to newly created Head of Singapore position

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SINGAPORE, Jan. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Markel, the insurance operations within Markel Group Inc. (NYSE: MKL), today announced that Wanshi Lin has been appointed as the Head of Singapore, effective immediately.

In this newly created position, Lin will oversee the company’s underwriting team in Singapore and spearhead business planning and market engagement on the company’s Lloyd’s Singapore platform. The establishment of a new leadership role in Singapore is demonstrative of Markel’s ongoing commitment to expanding its Asia Pacific operations and underwriting capabilities.

Lin will report to Christian Stobbs, Managing Director – Asia Pacific, in her new capacity.

Stobbs commented: “I’m thrilled about the energy and innovative ideas Wanshi will bring to this pivotal role. Singapore is our largest marketplace in the region for specialty products, and I’m confident that, under her leadership, we’ll further enhance our relationships with brokers and clients while building on the strong momentum achieved in recent years.”

Kevin Leung, Chief Underwriting Officer – Asia Pacific, adds: “It’s a delight to see Wanshi progress to take on this role. Her extensive experience, strategic insight and understanding of the Singapore market will be instrumental in strengthening our commitment to providing underwriting excellence to this important regional hub.”

Lin joined Markel in 2018 as an Assistant Underwriter – Marine, and since 2023 has been Senior Underwriter – Marine. Prior to Markel, Lin was Assistant Vice President at Marsh Singapore.

About Markel

We are Markel, a leading global specialty insurer with a truly people-first approach. As the insurance operations within Markel Group Inc. (NYSE: MKL), we operate the Markel Specialty, Markel International, and Markel Global Reinsurance divisions, as well as State National, our portfolio protection and program services operations, and Nephila, our insurance-linked securities operations. Our broad array of capabilities and expertise allow us to create intelligent solutions for the most complex risk management needs. However, it is our people – and the deep, valued relationships they develop with colleagues, brokers and clients – that differentiates us worldwide.

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Fintech PR

FinVolution’s SVP Ming Gu speaks at Asian Financial Forum, highlighting opportunities in CreditTech for Southeast Asia’s underserved

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HONG KONG, Jan. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — FinVolution Group (NYSE: FINV), a leading fintech service provider in the pan-Asian region, reaffirmed its commitment yesterday to advancing financial inclusion through cutting-edge credit technology and strategic partnerships at the Asian Financial Forum 2025 in Hong Kong.

 

The Fintech Showcase at AFF 2025

Dr. Ming Gu, Senior Vice President of FinVolution Group, shared his insights on how fintech innovation is transforming access to credit for underserved populations in Southeast Asia.

“Fintech is creating new pathways for underserved populations to access credit and financial support, empowering them to invest in their futures,” he said at a thematic workshop on the future of fintech in Southeast Asia.

Driving financial inclusion through innovation

Gu emphasized FinVolution’s mission to bridge the gap between financial institutions and underserved communities by leveraging advanced credit technology.

The company has built its business around serving young workers and small business owners from grassroots backgrounds, whose financial needs are often overlooked by traditional banks and other financial institutions.

Through user-friendly digital lending platforms and collaborations with local partners, FinVolution has supported over 6 million borrowers and facilitated loans exceeding US$3 billion in its markets outside China as of Q3 2024.

FinVolution’s AI-powered tools enable financial institutions to better assess creditworthiness, particularly for those without traditional credit histories, Gu explained.

Opportunities and challenges in Southeast Asia’s market

Gu highlighted Southeast Asia’s potential as a key growth market for fintech, driven by its young population, e-commerce growth, and credit-driven consumption habits.

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“Very few regions in this world can meet all these criteria,” he said, highlighting the underpinnings of Southeast Asia’s ascent as a fintech powerhouse. “Digital lending always goes hand in hand with the growth of e-commerce.”

“The number one factor driving financial inclusion and literacy is GDP per capita,” Gu said. “Fintech and other technologies serve as a tool to facilitate this process, but it is GDP per capita that remains the cornerstone of development.”

For instance, Indonesia’s ambitious Golden Indonesia 2045 Vision aims to accelerate the nation’s economic growth by at least 5% annually over the next two decades.

This initiative reflects the nation’s commitment to fostering financial inclusion and leveraging technology as a catalyst for sustainable progress.

Indonesia is the place to watch over the next five to 10 years,” Gu added. “We are very bullish on Southeast Asia.”

Symbiotic relationship with regulators and financial partners

Despite these opportunities, challenges such as the lack of credit histories and increasing fraud risks persist, threatening the future of fintech in this region.

FinVolution combats these issues with advanced proprietary risk management systems and fraud prevention technologies.

Gu stressed the collaboration with regulators and financial institutions in creating a robust and inclusive financial ecosystem.

FinVolution itself adheres to stringent regulatory standards, securing necessary licenses and aligning with local laws. This endeavor coincides with steady improvements to Southeast Asia’s regulatory stringency in recent years, which are credited for creating an environment conducive to fintech innovation.

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“I believe a symbiotic relationship between regulators and fintechs like us is crucial to Southeast Asia’s rise as a key global fintech hub,” Gu noted.

With over 100 financial institution partners, including digital banks and consumer finance companies, FinVolution provides end-to-end credit tech solutions that streamline processes and expand outreach.

FinVolution Group remains dedicated to driving financial inclusion and innovation in Southeast Asia. With a focus on technology and collaboration, the company aims to empower individuals and communities while fostering a thriving fintech ecosystem in the region.

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Cision View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/finvolutions-svp-ming-gu-speaks-at-asian-financial-forum-highlighting-opportunities-in-credittech-for-southeast-asias-underserved-302351545.html

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