TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The government is planning to expand the utilization of tobacco excise revenue-sharing fund (DBH-CHT) in 2017. General Director of Fiscal Balance at the Finance Ministry Budiarso said that it will be one of many fiscal policies to be launched by the Ministry next year.

According to Budiarso, originally the DBH-CHT can only be used for five necessities, among others are the policy dissemination of tobacco excise, industry development, and the eradication of illegal cigarettes. “But the implication is that the majority of the fund gets idle or stuck in a region,” he said Wednesday, December 7, 2016.

Due to the matter, the Finance Ministry will change the provision through the 2017 State Budget Laws. “We’ll let regions to use 50 percent of the tobacco excise revenue-sharing fund based on the region’s needs,” he said. “Hopefully it can help cigarette-producing areas increase the public facilities.”

The Finance Minister Regulation No. 28 of 2016 on the Use, Monitoring, and the Evaluation of the Tobacco Excise Revenue Sharing Fund shows that at least 50 percent of the shared fund should be used to increase the quality of raw material. The fund can also be utilized for industry development, fostering social environment, excise socialization, and eradicating illegal dutiable goods.

ANGELINA ANJAR SAWITRI