Market & legal data in the tobacco alternatives sector in Indonesia

20th February 2025: Indonesia: The head of the Ministry of Health’s Tobacco Disease Control Working Team, Benget Saragih, has advocated for the approval of the draft regulations that seek to introduce plain packaging for all tobacco and nicotine products, arguing that standardised packaging can reduce the prevalence of under-age smokers by reducing the appeal of the products, press reports. Saragih argues that plain packaging is quite important because the packaging of tobacco products is deliberately made colourful to attract young people.
14th February 2025: Indonesia: The chairperson of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Puan Maharani, has reportedly instructed the parliament to properly examine the concerns raised by stakeholders and political leaders over the draft regulations that seek to introduce plain packaging for all tobacco and nicotine products. The regulations have faced much backlash from both the industry and stakeholders involved in the processing and manufacturing of tobacco products, as they argue that such strict provisions would have a detrimental effect over the national economy.
7th February 2025: Indonesia: The director of prevention and control of infectious diseases at the Indonesian Ministry of Health, Siti Nadia Tarmizi, has said she is hoping to form a task force to take action against the advertising and promotion of tobacco and related products online if the draft regulations developing the government regulations that established a comprehensive regulatory framework for tobacco and nicotine products are not issued soon, press reports. She said most of the marketing of e-cigarettes and other related products is conducted online, especially on Instagram and Facebook.
5th February 2025: Indonesia: The director of prevention and control of infectious diseases at the Indonesian Ministry of Health, Siti Nadia Tarmizi, has emphasised that e-cigarettes are as dangerous as traditional cigarettes, stating that the content of both products is the same: nicotine, press reports. The director has discouraged smokers from replacing cigarettes with novel tobacco and nicotine products.
17th January 2025: Indonesia: The Ministry of Health has said that the draft regulations potentially introducing plain packaging for all tobacco and nicotine products are still being finalised, press reports. The regulations initially envisaged plain packaging but, after some pushback from stakeholders, the government is reconsidering the provisions set out in the draft bill.
20th December 2024: Indonesia: The minimum retail price of heated tobacco products (HTPs) and nicotine pouches will increase from 1st January 2025, following the publication of Ministry of Finance regulation 96 of 2024. Minimum retail price will be set at IDR6,240 ($0.39) per g for HTPs and IDR257 ($0.016) per g for nicotine pouches.
16th December 2024: Indonesia: The Ministry of Finance has issued regulation 96 of 2024, to take effect on 1st January 2025, press reports. The regulation sets out the minimum retailing price for tobacco and nicotine products. These will be set at IDR6,240 ($0.39) per g for heated tobacco products and IDR257 ($0.016) per g for nicotine pouches. The government previously decided not to increase excise duties for tobacco or nicotine products, instead opting now to increase the minimum retail price.
12th December 2024: Indonesia: Merrijantij Punguan Pintaria, director of Beverages, Tobacco Products and Refreshment Materials within the Ministry of Industry, said that the draft regulations introducing plain packaging for all tobacco and nicotine products continue to be controversial in the country, press reports. She reiterated that the economic impact of the provisions still needs to be considered before the regulations can be approved.
11th December 2024: Indonesia: Former director of research policy and cooperation at the World Health Organization (WHO) Tikki Pangestu said that, in order to reduce the prevalence of smoking in Indonesia, authorities need to come up with policies that are based on scientific evidence, press reports. Pangestu urges the promotion of alternative tobacco products in order to reduce the number of smokers and the burden of health costs in the country.
4th December 2024: Indonesia: Cashtry Meher, a health practitioner and member of the National Democratic Party (NasDem), which currently holds 69 seats in the parliament, has advocated for a pragmatic approach to harm reduction in making policies to curb the surge of non-communicable diseases, press reports. Meher has suggested that providing lower-risk alternative tobacco and nicotine products could result in a step towards reducing smoking habits in the country.
14th November 2024: Indonesia: Concerns over the draft regulations setting out plain packaging requirements for tobacco and nicotine products continue to grow in Indonesia. Willy Aditya of the NasDem Party and head of Commission XIII of the House of Representatives, has reportedly urged the government to prioritise public interest over special sectoral groups, while Indah Anggoro Putri, an official in the Ministry of Labour, has reportedly warned again over the potential layoffs that could result from the proposed regulations. The head of the Tobacco Farmers Association (APTI) for the Bondowoso Region, Muhammad Yasid, has reportedly said that the drafting process of the proposed regulations have been discriminatory and non-transparent.
4th November 2024: Indonesia: Legislator Nurhadi has warned that the implementation of the draft regulations developing the government regulations that established a comprehensive regulatory framework for tobacco and nicotine products could result in a loss of IDR160.6tn ($10bn) in tax revenue, press reports. He said that his party, the NasDem Party – currently holding 69 seats in the parliament – rejects the draft regulations, urging the government to find a solution that is less detrimental to the tobacco farmers' industry. The main areas of concern around these regulations are the plain packaging provisions, the ban on the sale of tobacco and nicotine products within 200 m of an educational institution, and the advertising restrictions.

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