Buya Syafii: Govt Must be Strict in Fighting Cigarette Industry
22 August 2017 16:20 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Yogyakarta - Former Chairman of PP Muhammadiyah Buya Syafii Maarif said that it is important for the country to have a strict Health Minister towards the cigarette industry.
“They must be audacious enough to face a difficult political situation that has everything to do with tobacco control policies,” said Buya Syafii during a workshop on tobacco regulatory ban on Tuesday, August 22.
He claims that such figure is reflected in Kulon Progo Regent Hasto Wardoyo who refused to have tobacco companies advertising in his area and also faced with the Regional Legislative Council (DPRD) member who is against the anti-tobacco law.
Buya Syafii considers the tobacco problem in Indonesia has reached an urgent level. The government’s attempt to reduce the number of smokers from 7.2 percent to 5.4 percent have failed, with the prevalence of under-aged smokers have even increased to 8.8 percent in 2016.
Another worrying fact according to him is that the major contributor to cigarette taxs that the government receives comes from low-income society. “This doesn’t make sense, they can barely make Rp1,000,000 income but can spend Rp600,000 on cigarettes,” Buya Syafii said.
ISTIQOMATUL HAYATI