Inp.polri.go.id - Jakarta.  The Ministry of Health is advocating for a significant increase in tobacco excise taxes to reduce smoking rates and mitigate public health risks.

“Tobacco tax reform remains a key agenda. One major lesson is that our tax calculation method is too complicated compared to other countries, which use much simpler systems,” said Dr. Siti Nadia Tarmizi, the Director of Non-Communicable Diseases, during a youth policy forum in Jakarta on Thursday (17/7/2025), as quoted by antaranews.com.

The Ministry is working with the Ministry of Finance to make tobacco less affordable, while pushing for stricter enforcement of advertising bans and expansion of smoke-free zones.

Indonesia follows the WHO’s MPOWER strategy, though current graphic health warnings on cigarette packs cover only 50%—less than regional neighbors.

Despite a slight dip in prevalence, the number of smokers rose to 63.1 million in 2023. Youth smoking also surged, with 5.9 million smokers aged 10–18, up from 2 million in 2013.

(mg/inp/pr/rs)