On Tuesday, May 12, 2026, at a capacity-building workshop held in Abidjan, the Ivorian government took another step in the fight against tobacco fraud. The Minister of Trade, Industry, and Handicrafts reiterated that, starting July 1, 2026, operators failing to comply with the tax marking requirement will face severe penalties, including the revocation of their licenses and the closure of their establishments.
To ensure the full implementation of this regulatory requirement, the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Handicrafts is intensifying its series of training sessions dedicated to the System for Monitoring, Authenticating, Tracing, and Tax Verification of Tobacco Products (SYSTRAC), an innovative system designed to strengthen market control and combat fraudulent channels more effectively.
Initiated by the Directorate General of Domestic Trade (DGCI) in collaboration with SICPA Côte d’Ivoire SA, this training session brought together 40 officials, including central directors, regional directors, and inspectors, with the aim of strengthening their operational capacities in detecting, controlling, and tracing fraudulent products.
Present at this session, Mr. Yapi Georges Kouassi, Director of Metrology, Quality Control, and Fraud Prevention (DMCQRF), emphasized the strategic importance of this reform: “This project represents a major step forward in modernizing our control mechanisms.” It will allow us to sustainably strengthen the effectiveness of our market surveillance missions and guarantee better traceability of tobacco products in circulation.” He also emphasized the operational scope of the system: “Thanks to SYSTRAC, our agents will have cutting-edge technological tools enabling them to quickly identify non-compliant products and combat fraudulent networks more effectively.” Launched on March 24, 2026, this series of training sessions dedicated to mastering SYSTRAC will continue tomorrow with other stakeholders from the Ministry, reflecting the Ivorian authorities’ ongoing commitment to strengthening the fight against fraud and to sustainably clean up the tobacco sector in Côte d’Ivoire.
