A number of East Java regional government leaders have jointly\nrejected the standardised packaging rule for processed tobacco products,\nor plain packaging, being drafted by the Health Ministry, believing it\nwill harm farmers and regional income derived from the tobacco sector.\nMoreover, the proposal continues to be pushed by the Health Ministry,\nwith concerns it will make tobacco products and e-cigarettes difficult\nto distinguish from one another, thereby complicating the supervision of\nillegal cigarettes that the government is currently intensifying.<\/p>\n
East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa recently highlighted the\nimpact of tightening regulations related to the tobacco sector. \u201cThe\ntobacco industry has made a major contribution to East Java, both in\nstate revenue, employment, business opportunities, and improving the\nwelfare of farmers and the community,\u201d Khofifah said. She revealed that\nrules hitting the tobacco sector could affect tobacco excise revenue\nfrom East Java. According to her, from 2018 to 2024, the trend of\ntobacco excise revenue continued to rise, with East Java\u2019s contribution\nreaching Rp133.2 trillion, or 61.41 per cent of the total national\nexcise revenue of Rp216.9 trillion in 2024. \u201cEast Java is the backbone\nof national tobacco excise revenue. Policies affecting this industry\nmust be carefully considered,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n
On a separate occasion, Situbondo Regent Yusuf Rio Wahyu Prayogo\nurged the government to cancel discussions on implementing plain\npackaging for tobacco products. \u201cThis is very crucial. Cancelling\npackaging standardisation is a form of support for the regional economy\nand tobacco sector workers,\u201d he stressed. Rio emphasised that the\ntobacco industry is one of the pillars of state revenue and for the\nSitubondo region. This area received Tobacco Excise Revenue Sharing\nFunds of Rp59 billion in 2024. The funds are used for infrastructure\ndevelopment, excise law enforcement, and social assistance such as\ndirect cash assistance for farm labourers and cigarette factory\nworkers.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Bondowoso Regent Abdul Hamid Wahid stated the importance\nof considering conditions in tobacco-producing regions when deciding\npolicies at the central government level. Rules issued by the central\ngovernment must protect regional interests and provide solutions before\nregulations are enforced. This push is a commitment by regional\ngovernments to protect tobacco farmers, because the economic impact felt\nby the regions will be far greater. \u201cTobacco is the lifeblood. There are\n5,000 farmers in Bondowoso who live from tobacco. However, tobacco\nactually supports more than 5,000 farmers, it could even be four to six\ntimes that number if we count other people involved,\u201d he said. His party\nwill also focus policies on strengthening local tobacco market access,\nprotecting regional agricultural culture, and stabilising selling prices\nat the farmer level. The use of Tobacco Excise Revenue Sharing Funds\nwill also be optimised to be right on target in supporting the welfare\nof farmers and farm labourers. \u201cThe regional government views farmers\nand farm labourers as the main producer class in the agricultural\neconomic system that must be protected,\u201d he concluded.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/east-java-regional-heads-reject-health-ministrys-plain-packaging-rule-1781096113", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }