Minister wants delay on FCTC ratification<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Minister of Industry and Trade Rini Suwandi urged the government
\non Wednesday to postpone ratification of the Framework Convention
\non Tobacco Control (FCTC), as it could harm the country's tobacco
\nindustry.<\/p>\n
She said that the delay was for the benefit of tobacco
\nfarmers.<\/p>\n
\"We shall ratify the FCTC when all concerned parties are
\nprepared for it,\" she was quoted by Antara as saying during a
\nmeeting with tobacco farmers in Jember, East Java.<\/p>\n
The FCTC, which was endorsed by the member states of the World
\nHealth Organization (WHO) in 2003, aims to curb the tobacco
\ntrade, globally. It has been ratified by 17 countries, but will
\nneed 40 countries to sign up to it to come into force.<\/p>\n
The treaty's bans cover advertising for tobacco products.<\/p>\n
She explained that the postponement was to help national
\ncigarette production, which had dropped significantly in the past
\nfour years due to a steady increase in excise duty.<\/p>\n
\"National cigarette output dropped 15 percent to 198.38
\nbillion in 2003 from 332.46 billion in 2000. The output has since
\ndecreased following the government's move to increase
\nsignificantly the excise duty in 2000,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Rini said the country produced 225.4 billion cigarettes in
\n1999, the total increasing to 232.46 billion in 2000.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, tobacco excise contributed Rp 9.86 trillion
\n(US$1.09 billion) to state revenue in 1999, with the total rising
\nto Rp 12.46 trillion in 2000, Rp 17.6 trillion (2001), Rp 22.3
\ntrillion (2002) and Rp 27.03 trillion (2003) before tax.<\/p>\n
For this year, the government has targeted excise revenue from
\nthe commodity at Rp 27.6 trillion.<\/p>\n
Rini said the government was aware of the significant role
\nplayed by the tobacco industry in the nation's economy. Apart
\nfrom making a major contribution to the state budget, she said,
\nthe industry also had a broad network from the upstream to the
\ndownstream sector and could absorb a large workforce.<\/p>\n
The government issued Regulation No.19\/2003, which revised the
\nprevious regulation that set the tar and nicotine content of
\ncigarettes at a maximum of 20 milligrams and 1.5 milligrams per
\ncigarette respectively.<\/p>\n
The new regulation lifts the tar and nicotine maximum content
\nrequirements, but requires a notice about tar and nicotine levels
\non each cigarette pack.<\/p>\n
\"The government will comprehensively discuss every problem
\nrelated to cigarette production from both the farmers' and the
\nindustry's point of view,\" Rini affirmed.<\/p>\n
Key requirements contained in FCTC<\/p>\n
1. Increase tobacco taxes.
\n2. Enact comprehensive bans on tobacco advertising, promotion and
\nsponsorship.
\n3. Place rotating health warnings on tobacco packaging that cover
\nat least 30 percent of the display area.
\n4. Ban the use of misleading and deceptive terms such as \"light\"
\nand \"mild\".
\n5. Protect citizens from exposure to tobacco smoke in workplaces,
\npublic transport and enclosed areas.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/minister-wants-delay-on-fctc-ratification-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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