The Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM) has revealed a startling\nfact regarding the circulation of illegal cigarettes at the grassroots\nlevel. Based on monitoring results in various regions, the majority of\nretail traders apparently do not yet understand the characteristics of\nillegal tobacco products circulating in the market.<\/p>\n
Head of BPOM, Taruna Ikrar, explained that these findings were\nobtained when officers conducted supervision on the inclusion of\npictorial health warnings (PHW) and label information on cigarette\nproducts in shops, stalls, and minimarkets. \u201cBPOM supervisory officers\noften find illegal cigarettes at the retailer level while performing\ntheir supervisory functions. Socialisation and education need to be\ncontinuously carried out so that they only sell legal products,\u201d said\nTaruna in an official statement on Thursday (4\/6\/2026).<\/p>\n
BPOM identified various modes of excise violations found in the\nfield, ranging from the use of counterfeit excise stamps to misuse. A\nspecific case was found in Padang, where cigarettes with PHWs still used\nfake excise stamps. Meanwhile in Serang, Banten, a discrepancy was found\nbetween the type of excise stamp and the product as well as the number\nof sticks listed.<\/p>\n
BPOM\u2019s findings have emerged amidst the polemic over the Ministry of\nHealth\u2019s plan to enforce plain packaging regulations without brands.\nAlthough Taruna Ikrar stated there is no direct evidence linking plain\npackaging to an increase in illegal cigarettes, business players\nexpressed deep concerns.<\/p>\n
The General Chairperson of the Indonesian Street Vendors Association\n(APKLI), Ali Mahsun, stressed that standardising packaging with Pantone\n448C colour would eliminate the differentiating identity of products.\nThis is considered to make it easier for illegal cigarette producers to\ninfiltrate the retail market. \u201cTraders are greatly disadvantaged when\nthere is no product differentiation. Imposing plain cigarette packaging\nwill erode legal cigarette sales amid the surge of illegal cigarettes,\u201d\nAli asserted. He also regretted the lack of trader involvement in the\ndiscussion of the draft Minister of Health Regulation (RPMK).<\/p>\n
This concern is reinforced by data from the Ministry of Finance.\nFinance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa noted that by April 2026,\nenforcement actions against illegal cigarettes had reached 5,451 times,\nsoaring 23.3 percent year-on-year (yoy). In the first four months of\n2026, the number of illegal cigarettes seized reached 684 million\nsticks, rocketing 125.8 percent compared to the same period last year.\nFor small traders, the circulation of illegal cigarettes is not just a\nlegal issue but a serious economic threat, considering that cigarette\nsales contribute more than 50 percent of the turnover of grocery\nstalls.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/bpom-finds-retailers-struggle-to-identify-illegal-cigarette-characteristics-1780577495", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }