President Joko Widodo said his government aims to decrease tobacco imports and increase excise taxes on tobacco products in line with World Health Organisation’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) guidelines, pending a full review of the impact of the measures, the Jakarta Post reported.

At a closed meeting at the State Palace on Tuesday, President Widodo said the impacts of the FCTC recommendations would affect the health sector but also the tobacco industry the economy as a whole. He said a Finance Ministry review would first calculate the cost of the planned measures, including the number of workers that will be affected, Health Minister Nila Moeloek told the newspaper.
Bolder measures in tobacco control planned by the government are aimed at reducing health impacts of tobacco use in the country and are in line with WHO FCTC provisions. Indonesia is the only country in Asia to have not to have not yet ratified the framework, the newspaper said.