Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin said that Government Regulation Number 28 of 2024 concerning Implementation Regulations of Law Number 17 of 2023 concerning Health which is criticized by the tobacco industry will not be revised.
"The PP will not be revised, it just came out," said Budi in Bandung, quoted from Antara, Saturday, August 3.
The emergence of health-related PPs that cause pros and cons, said Budi, is in order to find a balance between the two sides, namely industry and health.
Currently, the government itself has seen the importance of health aspects, especially after COVID-19, many have died from lung complications. Especially at this time, he continued, pollution is also high, so it is necessary to find ways to prepare public health.
"For example, the sugar industry (which is highlighted by pediatric dialysis), related to the tobacco industry, there must be two sides, now this balance must be maintained," he said.
Previously, President Joko Widodo had signed Government Regulation Number 28 of 2024 regarding Health which regulates the prohibition of selling tobacco products (smoking) at retail units per stick, except for cigars or electronic cigarettes.
This provision is stated in Article 434 paragraph (1) point c in the PP, as is a copy of PP seen on the jdih.setneg.go.id page.
In Article 434 it is written Paragraph (1) that everyone is prohibited from selling tobacco products and electronic cigarettes, if points (a) are mentioned using a self-service machine, points (b) to everyone under the age of 21 (twenty-one) years and pregnant women, (c) retail units per stick, except for tobacco products in the form of cigars and electronic cigarettes.
Meanwhile, points (d) by placing tobacco products and electronic cigarettes in the area around the entrance and exit or in places that are often traversed, (e) within a radius of 200 (two hundred) meters of education units and children's playgrounds, and (f) using website services or commercial electronic and social media applications.
Meanwhile, in Article 434 paragraph (2), the prohibition provisions as referred to in paragraph (1) letter f for services for websites or commercial electronic applications are excluded if there is age verification.
The regulation also regulates the promotion of formula milk or products to replace exclusive breast milk (ASI). Various provisions for controlling formula milk include prohibiting the promotion of exclusive breast milk replacement products, either through health workers to endorsements that affect social media (influencers).
The Health PP has sparked protests, including the Association of Indonesian People's Markets (Apartion). The part that they object to is the arrangement regarding the trading of tobacco products, aka cigarettes, because they consider it threatening the sustainability of market traders' businesses.
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Chairman of the Apparatus Suhendro in a statement in Jakarta, Friday, August 2, stated that the issuance of the Health PP would threaten the survival of nine million traders in the people's market spread throughout Indonesia.
One of the articles that will be enforced is the prohibition of selling cigarettes within a radius of 200 meters from educational units and playgrounds as well as the prohibition of selling retail cigarettes which is considered to be still very random to enforce.
"We strongly reject these two restrictions because of several factors. One of them is because many markets are close to schools, educational institutions or children's play facilities. This regulation can also reduce the turnover of market traders, which many come from the sale of tobacco products. This will create new problems for us as business actors," he said.
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