Any Proposals For The Implementation Of SNI For Sweet Drinks, Imposition Of Excise Canceled?

Illustration (Photo: Doc Antara)

The Ministry of Industry (Kemenperin) said there was a government discourse to implement standardization for sweetened drinks.

Whereas previously, the government was working on the discourse of implementing plastic excise and packaged sweetened drinks (MBDK).

The Director General of Agro Industry at the Ministry of Industry, Putu Juli Ardika, said that the purpose of implementing the Indonesian National Standard (SNI) for sweetened drinks is the same as excise, namely to reduce the consumption of sugar, salt and fat (GGL).

"Yesterday, we actually said in the DPR that there was a limited meeting (Ratas) and the direction was for sugar, salt and fat to be applied like SNI with the Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture (Muhadjir Effendy) as the vocal point. So, like that," Putu told reporters quoted on Thursday, July 11.

Putu said, the Ministry of Industry views that the implementation of SNI for sweetened drinks is more appropriate because standardization measures are considered stricter than the imposition of excise.

Restrictions on sugar consumption with the application of excise are feared not to be effective.

Meanwhile, SNI violations will drag the perpetrators to criminal penalties if they are not carried out.

"Cukai, kan, boleh beredar, tapi harganya saja dan harganya itu kami khawatirnya tetap dia (konsummen) beli. Tetapi kalau SNI, SNI itu harus comply kalau nggak comply pidana itu. Itu yang posisi di Kemenperin," katanya.

He revealed that the discourse on implementing this sweetened drink SNI has also reached the Minister of Finance and the DPR.

Even so, said Putu, the implementation of SNI and MBDK excise to suppress sugar consumption is still in the form of discourse.

"Just talks like that. Now it's not narrowed, which one wants (to be carried out), but the position of the Ministry of Industry from the start and the direction from the Ratas is like that," he concluded.

Previously, the Minister of Finance (Menkeu) Sri Mulyani Indrawati said that the target for plastic excise duty and packaged sweetened drinks (MBDK) had been set.

However, the implementation of MBDK excise is more complex when compared to plastic excise because its implementation requires cross-ministerial discussion.

"We have conveyed the practice here. We only make a judgment on economic problems, if we are weak we add excise duty and also the urgency of this excise policy for consumption disclosure because it is dangerous for the environment and health. So, we see the timing of economic conditions and targets that have been set in the APBN," Sri Mulyani explained in a meeting with Commission XI DPR, Tuesday, March 19, 2024.

Sri Mulyani assessed that this was because sweetened drinks were included in the Health Law (UU).

So, he continued, the discussion will be carried out jointly across ministries/agencies, both the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Industry.

"Later there will be discussions between the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Industry regarding sugar levels, salt levels that are considered healthy versus industry. This is why there have been various reactions because there have been discussions between k/l," he said.