E-cigarettes in Indonesia

Indonesia: A new excise duty of IDR532 ($0.034) per ml of e-liquid in open-system e-cigarettes now applies, as of 1st January, while closed-system e-cigarettes are now taxed at IDR6,392 ($0.41) per ml of e-liquid in the cartridge.

Indonesia: Abdul Muhaimin Iskandar, chairman of the National Awakening Party, has called on the government to reconsider its plan to increase tax on e-cigarettes by 15% over the next five years, saying it would harm “a creative industry”, press reports. The National Awakening Party is a member of the ruling coalition.

Indonesia: The metropolitan police authority in the capital, Jakarta, has asked the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM) to oversee the circulation of e-liquids in Indonesia, press reports. The police say the liquids are being used to introduce illegal  methamphetamine-like drugs into the market.

Indonesia: Government officials and stakeholders met yesterday to discuss revising the tobacco framework, Government Regulation 109 of 2012, with a view to regulating e-cigarettes, press reports. Deputy health minister of Health Dante Saksono said several ministries were working on it, although a formal initiative sent by the Ministry of Health to the president was rejected in January.