Rahmanda Muhammad Thaariq *)
Increasing the cigarette excise
tax is seen as one of the most powerful tools to control cigarette consumption.
At present, almost 50 percent of the selling price of cigarettes in Indonesia
consists of excise tax.
However, the relationship between cigarette excise tax and
data about smoking activities is quite puzzling. The Health Ministry indicated
that the ratio of male smokers increased from 53.4 percent in 1995 to 66
percent in 2013. According to a World Health Organization (WHO) survey, about
20 percent of males started smoking at the ages of 13 to 15 in 2014.
Today, Indonesia has the highest prevalence of male smokers
in the world.
If raising the excise tax on cigarettes has been effective,
why is there a rise in the number of smokers? Why are teenagers tempted by
cigarettes more than ever before?
Affordability is the key problem. A pack of cigarettes …
Selengkapnya Baca di The Jakarta Post
