Tobacco Community Warns Plain Packaging Rules Will Fuel Illegal Cigarette Trade

The Indonesian Tobacco Community (KPTNI) has voiced strong concerns over the Ministry of Health’s draft regulation to standardise cigarette packaging, claiming it will inadvertently fuel the illegal cigarette market. The community, which represents farmers, blenders, and business players across the country, argues that the proposed standardisation of fonts, shapes, and the use of Pantone 448C colour will destroy the legal tobacco ecosystem.

KPTNI Chairman Eggy Bp stated that the plain packaging plan would provide more leeway for illicit products, as counterfeiters already mimic legal brands using similar colours and fonts. “This regulation will only make it easier for illegal cigarettes to thrive,” he said in a statement on Friday (3/7/2026). He added that the policy would also kill related industries, such as packaging printing and other creative economy sectors.

Eggy further criticised the Ministry of Health for failing to involve KPTNI in the drafting and discussion process, despite the tobacco sector being a major domestic economic pillar. He urged the government to adopt fairer, more balanced, and transparent policies, noting that many small and medium-scale tobacco businesses have collapsed over the past five years.

Sociologist Andreas Budi Widyanta from Gadjah Mada University described the proposed regulation as a denial of the tobacco ecosystem’s contribution, which supports millions of livelihoods and is an inseparable part of the nation’s social and cultural fabric. He argued that the policy represents a form of “health hegemony” that disregards economic and socio-cultural dimensions, ultimately harming farmers and workers. Widyanta labelled the forced implementation of plain packaging as “tyranny” and “symbolic violence,” warning it would lead to a surge in illegal cigarettes and force consumers to buy products blindly.