Health Ministry Insists on Standardised Cigarette Packaging Plan Despite Rejection

The Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) has confirmed it will continue drafting a Minister of Health Regulation on the Inclusion of Health Warnings and Information on Tobacco and Electronic Cigarette Products, including a policy for standardised packaging (plain packaging), despite receiving various inputs and rejections from a number of ministries and cross-sectoral stakeholders. Kemenkes considers the policy necessary to reduce the appeal of tobacco products to children and adolescents. The Acting Director General of Disease Control at Kemenkes, Dr Andi Saguni, stated that cigarette and electronic cigarette packaging has so far not only functioned as a product container but also as a promotional tool capable of attracting new potential smokers. “The main objective of the standardised packaging regulation is not to ban legal products, but to reduce the visual appeal that has so far made tobacco products more attractive to children and adolescents. Cigarette packaging should not become a promotional medium that encourages the younger generation to start smoking,” Andi said in a written statement on Wednesday, 10 June 2026. Under the draft regulation, both cigarette and electronic cigarette packaging will use uniform colours. In addition, the brand identity and typeface used on the packaging will also be regulated by the government. Kemenkes stated that the process of drafting the ministerial regulation is being conducted transparently and involves various stakeholders. According to Andi, since 2024 the government has held a number of public consultation forums, cross-ministerial and institutional coordination meetings, and received input from the public, academics, professional organisations, business actors, and civil society organisations. He emphasised that all input received is being considered in the formulation of the regulation. However, Kemenkes believes that protecting public health, particularly children and adolescents, must remain the top priority. “All the input submitted during the regulation drafting process has been taken into consideration by the government. But in principle, health policy must still prioritise protecting the public, especially children, from the risk of addiction and the harmful effects of tobacco consumption,” Andi said. Nevertheless, the discourse on implementing plain packaging is still generating debate at the government level. Several ministries consider that the policy needs further review because it has the potential to impact the economic sector, employment, legal certainty, and trademark protection.