JAKARTA: Suwarno drags deeply on his kretek cigarette, the scented fumes swirling lazily in the Indonesian sunshine. Strong and cheap, the exotic smoke leaves him a little dizzy, but each lungful could take his country nearer to its long overdue economic recovery.
The popularity of kretek, a clove and tobacco mix enjoyed by millions of Suwarno's compatriots, last week prompted US giant Philip Morris to make a US$5.2bil (RM19.76bil) bid for Indonesian cigarette firm Sampoerna.
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