Controversy Surrounding Indonesia's Tobacco and E-Cigarette Regulation Draft

According to a report from Metrotv News on September 18, the Indonesian Ministry of Health has been asked to suspend discussions on the draft of the 2024 Tobacco and E-cigarette Product Safety Regulation (RPMK). The regulation has been criticized for restricting the market space for tobacco and e-cigarette products, and potentially harming Indonesia's tobacco farming and tobacco industry chain.

According to reports, this suggestion was put forward during a national dialogue event held at the Ashley Hotel in Jakarta on September 17 by pesantren and the Community Development Center (P3M).

The event was attended by a total of 50 representatives from government agencies, farmers' associations, trade unions, retailers associations, businesses, tobacco industry associations, civil society alliances, academia, religious leaders, and media. P3M Director Sarmidi Husna expressed concerns about the RPMK 2024 draft primarily due to its proposed plain packaging regulations, which are seen as restrictive to the tobacco industry. Husna noted that there was insufficient public participation in the drafting process, making it unrepresentative.

Husna further explained that some provisions in the draft may cause harm to tobacco farmers, small and medium-sized enterprises, various associations, and the tobacco industry, triggering strong opposition from various parties.

Benguet Saragih, from the Disease Control Working Group at the Ministry of Health, clarified that RPMK 2024 is not aimed at getting people to quit smoking, but rather is intended to prevent children from smoking.

In response, the Chairman of the National Association of Islamic Scholars (PBNU), Miftah Faqih, emphasized that the process of formulating any laws must include a balanced participation from all parties and focus on the common good, otherwise these laws will be ineffective and unfair. The representative of the Ministry of Industry, Nugraha Prasetya Yogi, also stated that the Ministry of Industry was not included in the previous law-making process, which is very detrimental to trade and industry.

Union representative Sudarto pointed out that since the enactment of the 2003 Health Law and Government Regulation No. 28 of 2004, tobacco regulations have gradually been implemented, significantly impacting the tobacco leaf and tobacco products industry. Sudarto emphasized that industrial policies and tax policies have also been used to suppress legal tobacco consumption, leading to the frequent appearance of illegal tobacco products.

Gunawan from the Indonesian Commission for Social Justice and Human Rights (IHCS) is calling for the coordination of existing regulations and laws to protect the interests of tobacco farmers. Indonesian parliament member Muhammad Misbakhun mentioned that the influence of international giants has caused local economies and tobacco farmers to go bankrupt, and therefore calls for the government to be a facilitator in finding a solution to the problem.

Representatives from the Indonesian Tobacco Association, Budiman, believe that restricting the sale of tobacco products will have negative effects on production, employment, and raw material sourcing. Additionally, Kusnasi Mudi, the Secretary General of the National Tobacco Growers Association (APTI), also stated that the government needs to reexamine this regulation and communicate with the entire industry chain to prevent significant impact on the future development of the industry.