Stalin urges Centre to ban import of plastic lighters

CHENNAI: Chief Minister M K Stalin on Thursday urged the Union government to ban the import of plastic cigarette lighters and to save the matchbox industry.

"The matchbox industry is going through a very difficult phase currently. It is facing stiff challenges from Pakistan and Indonesia in the export markets. The supply chain disruptions following the pandemic have increased the cost and logistic difficulties associated with exports. There has also been a huge increase in input costs. In this situation, the industry is also fast losing its domestic market as a result of competition from Single Use Plastic Cigarette Lighters, which are legally and illegally imported from countries like China," said Stalin, in a DO letter written to the Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal.

Stalin also said that the matchbox manufacturing industry is a major source of employment in the southern part of the State. "It is a traditional industry that employs over a lakh people directly. Most of its employees are women. Further, 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," said Stalin.

He further said that the plastic lighters are environmentally not sustainable. "Cigarette lighters are non refillable which result in immense plastic waste. They are made of environmentally damaging plastics and the health impact of the fuel used by them is unknown. Further, 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,” added Stalin.

The DO letter comes after Stalin met the representatives of matchbox manufacturing units in Kovilpatti. During the meeting, the representatives urged the Chief Minister to ban import of plastic cigarette lighters.