East Java Kadin Highlights Plain Cigarette Packaging Rules, Worries About Impact on Tobacco Product Ecosystem

The East Java Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) held a National Symposium to discuss the planned policy on standardizing plain cigarette packaging, limiting tar and nicotine levels, and banning additives in tobacco products. The forum, held in Surabaya on Monday (6/30), featured speakers from the Ministry of Industry, the East Java Industry and Trade Office, academics, and other stakeholders. East Java Kadin Chairman Adik Dwi Putranto said that East Java is the center of the national tobacco ecosystem, contributing around 43.9 percent of national tobacco production and about 70 percent of national tobacco excise revenue, or Rp161.24 trillion in 2024. The sector also supports more than 90,000 direct workers, around 387,000 tobacco and clove farmers, and thousands of MSME players. Kadin believes the policy needs to be formulated comprehensively, considering the balance between health aspects, the economy, and the sustainability of the legal industry. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health emphasized that this regulation is an effort to protect public health, especially children and adolescents, by involving various parties in drafting the regulation. Academics and industry players warn of potential impacts on the rise of illegal cigarettes and loss of state revenue if the policy does not consider all aspects. Kadin Indonesia hopes this forum will produce proportional recommendations for the government. https://kabarbaik.co/kadin-jatim-soroti-aturan-kemasan-polos-rokok-khawatir-tekan-ekosistem-produk-tembakau/