APTI Asks President Prabowo To Protect Millions Of Indonesian Tobacco Farmers

Illustration. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - The Association of Indonesian Tobacco Farmers (APTI) hopes that President Prabowo Subianto is committed to protecting millions of tobacco farmers from global threats and various regulations that threaten their economic sustainability.

Chairman of the National Leadership Council (DPN) APTI Agus Parmuji, in his statement in Jakarta, Tuesday, October 29, revealed that currently the legal tobacco products industry has been monitored and regulated with more than 480 strict regulations, both fiscal and non-fiscal sides which include regional regulations, regent/mayor regulations/gubernur, to ministries and legislation.

Not to mention the issuance of PP 28 of 2024 and the Draft Regulation of the Minister of Health (RPMK) on the Security of Tobacco Products and Electronic Cigarettes which has drawn rejection from many circles, including rejection from the tobacco ecosystem.

"The tight regulations imposed by the national legal IHT will also have an impact on the survival of millions of tobacco farmers who have been dependent on cigarette manufacturers," said Agus Parmujim, quoted from Antara.

According to him, to protect millions of tobacco farmers who have been the pillars of the nation's economy, the APTI DPN has asked the President not to access the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).

The FCTC framework, if applied in Indonesia, he said, would also kill workers, farmers, laborers, who would also suppress national economic growth.

This, according to him, contradicts the vision and mission of Asta Cita, which wants to absorb millions of workers in order to increase Indonesia's economic growth.

Then, asking that the Retail Selling Price (HJE) of cigarettes does not change in 2025, and there is no increase in VAT to 12 percent to keep sales in conditions of lowering people's purchasing power.

"This is in line with the 100 Hari program of Coordinating Minister for the Economy Airlangga Hartarto who targets to revive people's sluggish purchasing power," he said.

APTI also requested that tobacco excise tariffs (CHT) for 2025, 2026 and 2027 not increase in order to maintain the continuity of the recovery process for the national legal tobacco products industry.

In addition, the association rejects the simplification (simplification) of excise rates and brings closer to the disparity of interlayer rates, as it will pose a threat that legal cigarette prices are increasingly unbuy, and smokers switch to illegal cigarettes.

With simplification, he said again, what benefits are cigarette companies with international brands, where the products use very little local tobacco from farmers' harvests.

"If it is implemented, it could become an economic apocalypse for tobacco farmers," said Agus Parmuji.

Fifth, request a balanced regulation between electronic cigarettes and kretek cigarettes. This is because electronic cigarette excise rates are cheaper than kretek cigarettes.