Cigarette Excise And Retail Selling Prices Don't Increase, Gaprindo: We Give The Highest Award

Cigarette excise (Photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - The Association of Indonesian White Cigarette Producers (Gaprindo) appreciates the steps taken by the Minister of Finance (Menkeu) Purbaya Yudhi Sadives who will not increase cigarette excise rates next year.

In addition, Gaprindo also welcomed the Minister of Finance's policy which would not increase the retail selling price (HJE) of cigarettes.

"We welcome and give the highest appreciation to the government, (moreover) Mr. Purbaya Yudi Sadewa (as Minister of Finance) for the absence of an increase in excise and HJE," said Gaprindo Chairman Benny Wachjudi to VOI, Monday, October 13.

According to Benny, his party has sent a letter to the Minister of Finance for Purbaya so that the government will moratorium the increase in excise on tobacco products and HJE for the next three years.

"For that, we are grateful for the policy of no increase in CHT and HJE," he said.

With this policy, Benny hopes that the domestic tobacco products industry (IHT) can recover in the future.

"Hopefully IHT can recover from adversity for several years amid the weakening purchasing power of people who have not recovered from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the rise of illegal cigarettes," he concluded.

Previously, Minister of Finance Purbaya Yudhi Sadive emphasized that cigarette excise rates had not increased and until now there has been no discussion regarding policies to increase retail selling prices (HJE).

"(The increase in retail selling prices) there is no such policy, I don't know," he told the media crew on the 79th Customs Day, Monday, October 13.

Purbaya assessed that the policy of raising HJE was not the right step and there should have been no need for an increase.

"It should be, really, you don't have to. If not, right, trick. You think I'm a kipul. It doesn't go up, but the price is the same, right," he explained.