HUNGARY: Tobacco distributor insists system works despite reports | Progresiv
Hungary’s national centralized tobacco distributor ODBE dismissed claims late yesterday that its ordering and delivery system had collapsed, despite news reports, and promised to deliver all orders by the confirmed deadline, Hungarian news agency MTI reported. 
Hungarian daily Népszabadság reported that soon after its launch, ODBE’s services collapsed. ODBE, which has an exclusive concession on distributing tobacco products in Hungary, also reportedly said that it was introducing provisional measures for certain products this week because of the projected larger-than-usual number of orders, MTI reported.
According to the distributor, their system is 180% overloaded due to the delayed accession of Phillip Morris and Imperial Tobacco, which caused shortages of tobacco products in the Hungarian market.
Despite reports in mid-November suggesting the tobacco products of Philip Morris and Imperial Tobacco could vanish from store shelves as the two companyʼs did not reach an agreement with ODBE, the distributor was finally able to sign contracts with the two companies on November 25 and 26.
ODBE has signed contracts with Alföld-Tabak, BAT Pécsi Dohánygyár, Continental Dohányipari, Danczek Dohányipari, Imperial Tobacco Magyarország, JTI Hungary, Philip Morris Magyarország, Róna Dohányfeldolgozó, Tabán Trafik and TTI Hungary. (www.bbj.hu)
