Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - The government\u2019s plan to standardise the\ncolour of packaging for tobacco and electronic cigarette products\nthrough a draft Minister of Health Regulation (RPMK) continues to draw\nscrutiny and rejection from various parties. The Ministry of Health\nstates that this standardisation aims to support efforts to control the\nconsumption of tobacco products.<\/p>\n
Director of Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases at\nthe Ministry of Health, Siti Nadia Tarmizi, explained that the primary\naspect prioritised in this policy is health. According to her, uniform\npackaging will reduce the appeal of tobacco products such as\ncigarettes.<\/p>\n
She elaborated that if cigarette packaging is made unattractive, it\ncould diminish children\u2019s curiosity to try them. The policy\u2019s main\nobjectives are protecting children and beginners to suppress early\nsmoking initiation rates, deconstructing brand appeal to reduce\naesthetic attraction, and ensuring that pictorial health warnings remain\nvisually contrasting and effective.<\/p>\n
However, in practice, this regulation is seen as potentially causing\nimpacts that contradict its intended purpose. Many aspects have been\nraised as requiring attention, not only from a health perspective but\nalso regarding the impact on industry, labour, farmers, legal aspects,\nand the national economy. The potential rise in illegal cigarette\nnumbers has also been voiced by various parties.<\/p>\n
The Federation of Cigarette, Tobacco, Food and Beverage Workers\nUnions (FSP RTMM) SPSI also rejects the standardised packaging\nregulation. According to the Chairman of the FSP RTMM SPSI Organisation\nAdvisory Board, Sudarto, such regulations place intense, harsh, and even\npotentially lethal pressure on the tobacco products industry.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, the impact of this pressure on the industry will\nultimately be felt directly by workers, especially hand-rolled clove\ncigarette (SKT) labourers.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt should be noted that in the employment relationship system, some\nworkers in the sector, particularly hand-rolled clove cigarettes, are on\npiece-rate wages. So they are vulnerable to any policy impacting their\ndaily income. If the goods produced decline, automatically the wages\nreceived will also decline,\u201d Sudarto explained during a CNBC Indonesia\nCoffee Morning titled \u201cThorough Review of Tobacco Product Packaging\nStandardisation Rules\u201d, Thursday (9\/7\/2026).<\/p>\n
Response from the Indonesian House of Representatives<\/p>\n
Member of Commission IX of the Indonesian House of Representatives\nfrom the Nasdem faction, Nurhadi, also highlighted the potential\nincrease in illegal cigarettes. He argued that if this RPMK is still\nissued, it will cause turmoil.<\/p>\n
\u201cEven now, without the issuance, or before the issuance of this RPMK,\nthese plain cigarettes, pardon me, these illegal cigarettes are already\nrampant. Already rampant,\u201d Nurhadi stressed.<\/p>\n
According to him, the articles in the RPMK would actually open the\ndoor wide for illegal cigarettes. For this reason, he rejected the\nregulation because of its partial nature. He stated that policy must\nconsider not only the health aspect but also the economic side.<\/p>\n
He also assessed that regulating the shape, colour, font, and font\nsize of packaging far exceeds the Ministry of Health\u2019s authority. This\npolicy also violates trademark intellectual property rights, erasing\nvisual identities that have been built over a long time.<\/p>\n
Similarly, Member of Commission VI of the Indonesian House of\nRepresentatives from the Democrat faction, Herman Khaeron, said that\nstandardising cigarette packaging could cause down-trading and a switch\nto illegal cigarettes of up to 42 percent. If there is an increase in\nillegal cigarettes, then law enforcement must be considered.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is futile to ban the legal ones while increasing the illegal\nones. Later, the economic goals will not be achieved, and the target of\ncurbing the growth of young smokers will also not be achieved. In the\nend, nothing will be achieved,\u201d he stated.<\/p>\n
Moreover, the potential economic impact could eliminate state\nrevenue, and 1.2 million people could lose their jobs.<\/p>\n
\u201cNow, if this happens, the moral responsibility lies with the\nMinistry of Health to increase state revenue. To increase employment\nopportunities as a result of the ministry\u2019s regulatory policies. Is\nthere a way to convert this?\u201d said Herman.<\/p>\n
He hopes for a more comprehensive policy that does not only look at\none particular sector, but rather takes a balanced approach. He also\nstressed that there must be other ways to support health without killing\nthe cigarette industry.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow do we protect teenagers from the health dangers of cigarettes?\nYes, please, that is the task of the Ministry of Health. But do not then\nregulate the industrialisation sector, the upstream sector, or regulate\ntobacco farmers,\u201d he asserted.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/house-of-representatives-and-labour-unions-reject-plain-packaging-proposal-to-prevent-wave-of-layoffs-1783608830", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }