TOBACCO CONTROL SHOULD NOT BE A MISSION IMPOSSIBLE

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Sept 15 (Antara) - People have been consuming tobacco or smoking cigarettes since time immemorial, but global efforts have been made to protect people after the medical world found it to be dangerous to health.         Yet, the global effort is like a mission impossible as tobacco is not only a threat to health but also a commodity that helps generate the economy where the interference of the cigarette industry into the government in Asian countries is so great.          The World Health Organization (WHO) has adopted the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) as part of the efforts to eliminate the ill effects of tobacco on human health. The FCTC also is initiated by developing countries of the WHO members and was agreed in 2003.          Ironically, Indonesia, which is one of the initiators along with Latin America, India, and Thailand, has yet to accede to the convention.           The government's hesitance to ratify the convention is viewed as odd, especially during a time when 180 countries in the world have acceded to the FCTC, realizing the importance of controlling tobacco consumption.

EXCISE TAX IS TOO LOW TO CURB CIGARETTE CONSUMPTION

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Oct 28 (Antara) - The government has decided to impose a 10.04 percent excise tax hike on tobacco-based products, particularly cigarettes, beginning January 2018, yet the consumer institute describes it a setback, as it will not reduce cigarette consumption.          In terms of percentage, the 10.04 percent increase in excise tax is a setback, as the hike is too low, and even it is lower than the 11.19 percent in 2016. Every tax hike should be progressive until it reaches the minimum 57 percent, as mandated by the Law on Excise.          Hence, the prevalence of smoking in Indonesia is forecast to increase further, with a hike of only 10.04 percent in the tobacco excise tax in 2018, according to the Indonesian Consumers Foundation (YKLI).          "Poor families and juveniles can still afford to buy cigarettes. An increase of 10.04 percent (in the excise tax) will only raise the price by Rp30 to Rp50 per cigarette," YLKI Chairman Tulus Abadi stated in Jakarta on Thursday (Oct 26).          However, Director General of Customs and Excise of the Ministry of Finance Heru Pambudi explained that the policy on excise tax on tobacco-based products is decided after taking into account four factors: health, cigarette industry, labor or employment, and state revenue.

SMOKING PROBLEM MUST BE RESOLVED BY REACHING OUT TO CHILDREN

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, May 16 (Antara) - Health Minister Nila Djuwita Moeloek said at the opening of the Fourth Indonesia Conference for Tobacco or Health (ICTOH), Monday, that the steady rise in the number of child smokers should not be left unresolved.          The minister made the statement as the number of child smokers has reached an alarming level. She said more than one-third of the population, or 36.3 percent, are smokers. Some 20 percent are youth in the age group of 13 to 15 years.          A youth community group, Smoke Free Agent (SFA), said 54 percent of Indonesian children were found to be smokers last year. It's a challenge to wean away children from smoking.          Amid concerns over health hazards, cigarette industries are also intensively promoting their products/cigarettes. Children are the easiest target for the future market. If cigarette industries fail to get child patrons, they will collapse in the coming generation.          This poses a huge challenge to overcoming the increasing trend of child smokers.          Moreover, if the government banned cigarettes, it would have a significant impact on the life of about 5.8 million people, including 401,989 workers in formal cigarette industries, 2.9 million tobacco farmers, 1.5 million clove growers and one million cigarette retail traders.

CIGARETTE PRICE HIKE CONSIDERED LOW

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Oct 1 (Antara) - Recent media reports about the possibility of the government hiking cigarette prices to about Rp50 thousand ($3.76) per pack, from Rp15 to 25 thousand ($1.13 to $1.88) have triggered an intense public debate.          Much of the talk is centered around whether the price hike was too high, the efficacy of efforts to cut down the number of smokers, the fate of tobacco industry workers and tobacco farmers and similar other issues.          The idea to increase the price of cigarettes was first floated by Hasbullah Thabrany of the Health and Economic Study Center of the Community Health Faculty of the University of Indonesia (FKMUI).          In keeping with Finance Minister Sri Mulyani's views, the decision to hike the excise rate and cigarettes prices was taken in accordance with the Excise Law and was also included in the draft state budget.        "The Finance Ministry has not yet issued any new regulation regarding hiking the retail sales price or excise tariff on cigarettes," she had said in August.          However, on Friday, the minister announced that the government¿s decision to raise the excise duty on tobacco. It will become effective next year as per the Finance Minister's Regulation No.147/PMK.010/2016.

CIGARETTE PRICE HIKE YET TO BE DECIDED

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Aug 29 (Antara) - The government is yet to take a decision on increasing the excise rate and sales price of cigarettes in the country as it still has to conduct a study to evaluate the pros and cons.          Since the proposal on the price hike was put forth in July, several quarters have suggested making careful evaluation before the cigarette price is hiked.          Legislator Mukhamad Misbakhun of Commission XI of the House of Representatives stated at a discussion in Jakarta on Saturday (Aug. 27) that the government should conduct careful evaluation before deciding to increase the excise rate and price of cigarettes.          According to Finance Minister Sri Mulyani, the government has not yet issued a new sales price and excise rate.          "The Finance Ministry has not yet issued any new regulation regarding the retail sales price or excise tariff of cigarettes," she noted in Jakarta last week.          The public has been involved in debates and discourse as reports circulated lately that President Joko Widodo will increase the price of cigarettes to almost two folds that of the current price to Rp50 thousand per pack.

GOVERNMENT WARNED OF CIGARETTE PRICE INCREASE

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Aug 21 (Antara) - The government's reported plan to significantly hike cigarette prices has sparked pros and cons reactions from various circles such as cigarette industries, lawmakers and  other quarters.          Chairman of the Indonesian White Cigarette Producers Association (Gaprindo), Muhaimin Moefti expressed worries that the plan if implemented would harm cigarette industries. Some factories can face bankruptcy and close down.          The significant price increases can reduce industries sales turnover as cigarette consumption by  low-income people will decline. It can also lead financially weak addicted smokers to commit crimes.          The normal prices of cigarettes currently range from Rp15,000 to Rp25,000 (US$1.13 - US$1.88) per pack. The government is planning to raise prices up to about Rp50,000 (US$3.76) per pack.     This means that a smoker who consumes one pack of cigarettes a day would spend some Rp1.5 million per month for cigarettes, a price which is higher than the workers' monthly basic minimum wage of Rp1.4 million in West Nusa Tenggara Province, for instance.

INDONESIA YET TO ACCEDE TO TOBACCO CONTROL CONVENTION

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, June 16 (Antara) - The pros and cons behind Indonesia acceding to the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) have long been speculated, and the government's indecisive stand has placed it in a difficult position.          Various circles from the health sector and the younger generation have, so far, called on the government to ratify the FCTC treaty, which had been circulated by the WHO since May 21, 2003, in an effort to curb tobacco consumption.          However, the government has yet to accede to the convention as over six million people earn a livelihood as workers in tobacco industries or as tobacco farmers. Tobacco also contributes trillions of rupiah in taxes to the state     The Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Youth Movement (GM-FCTC) has questioned the government's reluctance to accede to the convention amid increasing number of young smokers.          The GM-FCTC viewed the government's hesitance to ratify the convention as odd, especially during a time when 180 countries in the world, realizing the importance of controlling tobacco consumption, have acceded to the FCTC.          "It is ironical for Indonesia, as one of the initiator countries of the FCTC, to have not yet affirmed its commitment to controlling tobacco consumption by acceding to the FCTC," Margianta Surahman, a spokesman of the GM-FCTC, noted in a press statement in Jakarta on Wednesday.

DRUG MONITORING AGENCY TO PROBE CIGARETTE MANUFACTURERS

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Sept 18 (Antara) - The Drug and Food Monitoring Agency (BPOM) will investigate cigarette manufacturers that have allegedly violated regulations by not displaying pictorial health advisories on cigarette packets.          Following up on a report by activists claiming that more than 50 percent of cigarette manufacturers surveyed did not display pictorial health warnings on their cigarette packets, the BPOM will begin monitoring packages.          "We will cooperate with police in carrying out the examinations. If they are found guilty of violating regulations, they will be acted upon based on the law in force," Elly Mutiawati of the BPOM said on Wednesday.          She noted that the BPOM has signed a memorandum of understanding on the supervision of food products and other goods, including cigarettes, which contain chemical substances and harm public health.          "A comprehensive supervision and investigation should be carried out first, before taking actions against violators," Elly said.

INDONESIA TRIES TO CONTROL TOBACCO WITHOUT TREATY

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Aug 23 (Antara) - The Indonesian government has long tried to protect people from the injurious effects of smoking, while at the same time continuing to enjoy significant amounts of tobacco taxes, reaching over Rp80 trillion annually.          The World Health Organization (WHO) has, since May 21, 2003, circulated a treaty, called the FrameWork Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), in an effort to control tobacco consumption.          The Indonesian government, however, has not yet displayed its intention to ratify the convention, as many favor and oppose the treaty at home.          Of course, the ultimate goal of the treaty is to reduce the number of smokers, something that will have an impact on tobacco farmers and industries, as well as state revenues from cigarettes and tobacco taxes.          Despite the fact that Indonesia has yet to ratify the convention, the government has been attempting to launch anti-smoking campaigns.          To this end, the government has begun a campaign banning smoking in public locations. It has also issued Regulation No. 109, 2012, which bans the sale of cigarettes to youths below 18 years old.

GOVT TO EVALUATE IMPACT OF PICTORIAL WARNING ON CIGARETTES

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Aug 23 (Antara) - Facing opposition from various quarters as it looks to accede to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FWCTC), the government has asked cigarette companies to put gruesome pictures on cigarette packets to discourage smokers.          Indonesia has been launching anti-smoking campaigns with written warnings on cigarette packets but it seems it is not effective enough. According to reports in Kompasiana publication on May 4, 2014, Indonesia has the third largest number of smokers in the world with cigarette consumption at about 305 billion pieces in 2012.          Ideally, the government would like to accede to the FWCTC which aims to reduce the number of smokers and protect the present and future generations against health damage. Yet, that move is opposed by many quarters, including tobacco farmers and the sections of the industry.          Therefore, it is now doing its best to discourage smokers. Beginning June 24, 2014, cigarette packets will carry pictorial warnings with gruesome images of people suffering from different tobacco-related diseases such as oral, gangrene, mouth, neck and lung cancers.          The pictorial warning on cigarette packets will be effective in reducing the number of smokers and preventing young people from taking up the habit, Health Minister, Nafsiah Mboi, believed.

RI HEMMED-IN BETWEEN BENEFITS AND HAZARDS OF TOBACCO

By Andi Abdusslam

Jakarta, Sept 27 (Antara) - The Indonesian government has not yet discussed whether it will ratify the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), as it is still hemmed-in between economic benefits of tobacco and protecting the public's health.          In order to protect the people's health from the risks of tobacco, the government has launched a campaign banning smoking in public locations. It has also issued Regulation No. 109, 2012 which bans the sale of cigarettes to youths below 18 years old.         But all this has not had a significant impact, reduced the number of smokers or discouraged people from smoking in public. After all, the tobacco industry is a main source of the country's income. At least 6.1 million people work in cigarette industries or as tobacco farmers.          In 2012 and 2013, for example, the country received at least Rp84 trillion and Rp85 trillion, respectively, in tobacco taxes.          So, from an economic point of view, tobacco is a source of revenue for the state and income for millions of people, which is why the government has not yet ratified the Framework Convention on Tobacco.