Tobacco Documents Online

INFOTAB STRUCTURE AND PRIORITIES 4.1 Restructuring the role of the Secretariat and Committees A Group comprising the Chairman of the Board, committee chairmen and the Secretary General agreed on a series of recommendations to the Board regarding priorities for projects of committees and restructured roles for the Secretariat and committees. These recommendations were forwarded to Board members by the Secretariat on July 10, 1981 (Annex I). Responses from member companies indicate that five agree with the recommendations. When conveying their general agreement, BAT commented on specific recommendations in a letter of August 7, 1981 from R.L.O. Ely (Annex II). R.J. Reynolds, in a letter of August 6, 1981 from E.A. Horrigan (Annex III), questioned the need to both restructure INFOTAB's work procedures and review priorities. 4.2 Reviving the Lead Company System This item has been placed on the agenda at the request of Rothmans International. Dr. WiethUchter wrote to members of the Board on July 15, asking their agreement to revive the lead company system. At time of writing, three of the four companies concerned had responded. Philip Morris conveyed agreement to all points (Annex IV). BAT agreed to the system where there is no NMA and to help with the formation of new NMAs, but expressed reservation-a about assignin a formal lead com an role in countries ~ where NMAs ~a,_ready exist (Annex V). Rothmans International replied (Annex VI) that reviving the lead company system would mean a change in the organization of INFOTAB and therefore requested that the subject be discussed at this Board meeting. Lead company assignments for which agreement was requested are as follows:

2 Revival of Former BAT Honduras El Salvador Costa Rica Nicaragua Chile Brazil Indonesia Malaysia India Bangladesh R.J. Reynolds Hong Kong Ecuador Philip Morris Argentina Guatemala Venezuela Pakistan Philippines Rothmans South Africa Singapore Assignment of New Lead Companies BAT Sierra Leone Zaire Kenya Mauritius Sudan Surinam Barbados BAT or Rothmans Ghana 4.3 Priorities of Committees Lead Companies Rothmans Jamaica Malta Zambia Philip Morris Bolivia BAT or Philip Morris Mexico Panama This item has been placed on the agenda at the request of BAT.