Mr. Anies, Entrepreneur Complains About Ban On Cigarette Display: Suppressing Retail Performance To Grocery Stores

Illustration. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - The call from the Governor of DKI Jakarta Anies Baswedan Number 8 of 2021 concerning the Development of a No-Smoking Area is considered to be increasing pressure for the Tobacco Products Industry (IHT).

Head of the Minimarket Department of the Indonesian Retailers Association (Aprindo) Gunawan Baskoro said the governor's call would further suppress overall retail performance. Moreover, many retailers in the supermarket, grocery, hypermarket, and department store segments have fallen during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Furthermore, Gunawan said, during the COVID-19 pandemic that spread in the last two years, there were no less than 1,500 outlets that were permanently closed.

"We have fulfilled all our obligations, instead of being supported, we are being pressured," he said in an official statement, Tuesday, September 22.

Gunawan said that national retail conditions have not shown a recovery trend during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, the retail sector industry also lacks incentives from the government to be able to survive the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic.

As is known, Aprindo and Kadin have just held an official dialogue with President Joko Widodo in early September regarding this matter. However, the government has not provided further responses because it is still in the process of being studied.

Similarly, General Chairperson of the Indonesian Market Management Association (Asparindo) Joko Setiyanto said this call would also have an impact on the small retail trade sector such as in traditional markets and grocery stalls.

Joko explained that cigarettes are one of the main commodities in trade in this layer. According to Joko, this policy actually ignores efforts to accelerate the economic recovery of people who have been hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.

One of the owners of a simple kiosk in the Palmerah area, West Jakarta, Ade Sutisna, is quite worried about the raid on cigarette billboards. Because, the kiosk he owns is a sponsor of a cigarette brand that gives him a simple building to sell.

"My shop has the frills of certain brands. What will happen later? If I have to buy a new kiosk, I can't afford it because it's expensive," said Ade.

For a small, simple shop like him, Ade admits that cigarettes are one of the products that form the backbone of his kiosk. Advertisements of certain brands of cigarettes are also installed as a means of information on product availability. Without the billboards, he said shoppers would not visit his stalls because they thought the stalls didn't sell the products they wanted.