Farmers Decry Tax Hike

Indonesian tobacco farmers say demand for their leaf has declined ahead of tax and price hike schedule for 2020, according to a report in Tempo. 

The government plans to raise the cigarette excise rate by 21.56 percent on average and the cigarette retail selling price by 35 percent next year.

Agus Setiawan, deputy secretary general of the Indonesian Tobacco Farmers Association, asked Presidential Chief of Staff Moeldoko to revisit the plan.

The Finance Ministry’s Customs and Excise Director-General Heru Pambudi said the government was prepared to share its cigarette excise revenues with tobacco farmers, by returning a part of the take through regional governments.

Source: Tempo