Report: On-Reserve Smoke Sales To Be Tracked

Report: On-Reserve Smoke Sales To Be Tracked

Monday, July 25, 2005 at 15:06

CBC Radio is reporting that the province is creating an electronic system to track on-reserve cigarette sales by treaty Indians.

The report also suggests the government may implement a weekly cigarette quota when the system is in place.

Currently, status Indians don’t pay the PST on tobacco products bought on-reserve.

Stores that sell cigarettes on reserves are refunded the PST they pay when they first buy the smokes from a wholesaler.

Apparently, the government is concerned some on-reserve retailers might be overstating their sales in order to qualify for a higher PST rebate.

A government spokesman says there are some stores that have reported a dramatic spike in reported sales, which don’t jive with what’s been reported in past years.

Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations Chief Alphonse Bird feels this measure would infringe on First Nations jurisdiction and he doesn’t like it.