Civilian Society Rejects RPMK 2024, Threats To Tobacco Industry And Farmers

Halaqah Participants held a Center for Islamic Boarding School Development (P3M). (Doc. P3M)

JAKARTA - The civil society alliance urges the discussion of the Draft Regulation of the Minister of Health (RPMK) 2024 to be stopped. They assess that the regulation limits too much space for tobacco products, electronic cigarettes, and combat trading in Indonesia. This demand was submitted at the National Halaqoh event, which was held by the Center for Islamic Boarding School Development and the Community (P3M) at the Ashley Hotel, Jakarta, Tuesday, September 17.

This event was attended by 50 participants from various circles, such as government representatives, tobacco farmer associations, trade unions, tobacco industry associations, and academics. Several figures who attended included dr. Benget Saragih, M.Epid (Kemenkes), KH. Miftah Faqih (Chairman of PBNU), dr. Syahrizal Syarief (Warek UNUSIA Jakarta), and Misbakhun from the Indonesian House of Representatives Commission XI.

According to Sarmidi Husna, Director of P3M, this regulation has the potential to harm various parties, including tobacco farmers and cigarette industry players. RPMK 2024 is an implementation of Law no. 17 of 2023 concerning Health and Government Regulation No. 28 of 2024 which proposes plain packaging without a brand for tobacco products and electronic cigarettes.

Sarmidi criticized the lack of public participation in the RPMK formulation process, which is considered detrimental to MSMEs, associations, and the tobacco industry. This led to rejection from various parties who felt neglected in the policy process.

Representative from the Ministry of Industry, Nugraha Prasetya Yogi, believes that this regulation can increase the circulation of illegal cigarettes, which will have a negative impact on state revenue from tobacco excise. Yogi also emphasized that this policy could threaten the sustainability of more than 537,000 workers in the tobacco industry and 1.5 million families of tobacco farmers and cloves.

Sudarto from the RTMM-SPSI Trade Union Federation added that this regulation not only threatens the tobacco products industry, but also injures workers' rights to get a decent job. Meanwhile, Gunawan from the Indonesian Human Rights Committee for Social Justice (IHCS) stated that tobacco is a national strategic commodity that involves the fate of farmers and workers.

In the discussion, participants concluded that the 2024 RPMK was problematic in terms of laws and regulations, substance, and discussion processes. Muhammad Misbakhun from the DPR RI Commission XI said that the lack of public and industrial participation in the RPMK formulation process could have a negative impact on the national economy. Therefore, the civil society requested that the discussion of the 2024 RPMK be stopped and a more participatory dialogue was held with all relevant stakeholders.