Indonesia’s House of Representatives (DPR) is drafting a bill to include tobacco among eight strategic plantation commodities, aiming to safeguard the sector and protect farmer livelihoods. The move comes amid falling tobacco absorption and growing farmer concerns. Lawmaker Sofyan Dedy Ardyanto, who represents Temanggung, Central Java, said the bill has been shaped with input from the Indonesian Tobacco Farmers Association (APTI) and local governments.
Despite declining demand, Indonesia remains one of the world’s largest cigarette markets, with the industry supporting more than 5 million workers and contributing significantly to state revenue through excise taxes.
Ardyanto cautioned that the country’s ratification of the FCTC has weakened the sector. “The industry is still viable, but our regulations treat it like a dying sector,” he said.