JAKARTA: Jakarta’s plan to expand smoke-free zones and tighten cigarette sales regulations has been met with strong pushback from business groups, who warn that the new rules could eat into revenues and disrupt livelihoods.
The Jakarta City Council’s special committee (pansus) finalised the draft of a long-delayed smoke-free zones bylaw on Monday (Sept 29), in line with a 2024 central government regulation requiring all regional administrations to adopt such measures.
The bylaw bans cigarette sales within 200 metres of schools and playgrounds and prohibits the sale of loose cigarettes, commonplace across Indonesia, where countless street vendors and small kiosks sell them by the individual stick.
In addition to these provisions, the draft also restricts smoking in crowded public areas, including traditional and modern markets, and requires businesses to obtain special permits to sell tobacco products.
Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung confirmed that councillors had backed extending restrictions to entertainment venues such as karaoke lounges, nightclubs and live music cafés.
However, small businesses say they are bracing for a blow.
Cigarettes remain one of the best-selling items at neighbourhood food stalls like warteg, short for warung Tegal that specifically serve Javanese food.
“Cigarettes are one of the best-selling commodities in warteg,” said Mukroni, head of the Nusantara Tegal Food Stall Community (Kowantara), on Tuesday.
While he supported efforts to curb cigarette access, especially for minors, he criticised the lack of communication in drafting the rules.
Similarly, Ali Mahsun, chairman of the Indonesian Street Vendor Association (APKLI), told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday that the association, which represents 80,000 street vendors across Jakarta, opposes several provisions of the draft bylaw.
“These rules will further threaten the livelihoods of vendors, who have already faced declining earnings in recent years,” he said.
“We reject the proposed bylaw as it will only slow down our economy”. Ali revealed that at least 200 street vendors plan to stage a protest in front of the City Council building in Central Jakarta next week.
Larger businesses also share similar concerns. Arini Yulianti from the Indonesia Hotel and Restaurants Association (PHRI) said entertainment businesses, from restaurants and cafes to bars and hotels, would be “significantly impacted.”
“We urge reconsideration, as what we need is a balanced smoke-free zones regulation,” Arini said.
The restrictions come as Indonesia struggles with one of the world’s highest smoking rates. The Health Ministry’s 2023 national health survey (SKI), which polled nearly 1.2 million people nationwide, found that most Indonesian smokers began between the ages of 10 and 19, with the total number of smokers estimated at around 70 million.
Children’s easy access to cigarettes is considered a key factor in the problem. Despite a legal ban on selling tobacco and e-cigarettes to anyone under 21, a 2023 study by Tulodo Indonesia found hundreds of cigarette outlets located just 100 to 250m from 40 schools surveyed in Jakarta.
However, some analysts argue that a blanket radius rule may not suit Jakarta’s dense urban landscape.
“What we need is stronger oversight on the sale of tobacco products,” said Herman Suparman, executive director of the Jakarta-based think tank Regional Autonomy Watch (KPPOD).
He cautioned that the bylaw could restrict revenues for small businesses without effectively cutting cigarette use.
National policy adds to the debate, as newly appointed Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa announced he will not raise tobacco excise rates, a decision critics fear could make cigarettes more accessible to children.
To this end, Governor Pramono has promised to mitigate the bylaw’s economic impact on small businesses. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
