The Indonesian Cigarette Consumers’ Society (LKRI), which was formed in Semarang on Tuesday, claims to be the voice of the country’s smokers, according to a tempo.com story.
LKRI’s founders apparently decided that smokers in Indonesia needed a unified voice to help counter the discrimination that was being aimed at them.
In part, that discrimination had manifested itself in the fact that smokers were not covered by state healthcare insurance (BPJS).
The chairman of LKRI, Agus Condro Prayitn, said during the launch of the society that smokers had greatly contributed to the country.
Through them, the government was able to generate Rp135 trillion in cigarette tax.
Nevertheless, smokers received the least attention from the government of any group, accept when it came to discrimination.
Agus said that cigarette excise tax was expected to generate Rp138 trillion by the year’s end, and that the Finance Ministry had decided to raise that Rp148 trillion for 2018.
So the LKRI has urged smokers to fight for their rights as the country’s revenue contributor.
During the launch, human rights activist Hendardi said that cigarettes and smoking were not crimes and, in fact, were hugely helpful to tobacco farmers.