Kemenkes Abandons Plan to Standardize Cigarette Packaging

The Ministry of Health (“Kemenkes”) has removed the provision on standardization that would have required the uniformization of cigarette packaging from the Draft Regulation of the Minister of Health (Rancangan Peraturan Menteri Kesehatan - “RPMK”) on the Inclusion of Health Warnings and Information on Tobacco Products and Electronic Cigarettes. Benget Saragih, Head of the Tobacco-Related Disease Control Working Team at Kemenkes, stated that the removal of the cigarette packaging standardization provision was prompted by economic considerations raised by the relevant ministry.

“Therefore, there will no longer be any standardization of cigarette packaging due to objections from the Ministry of Industry and the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs,” Benget told Hukumonline.

Benget stated that the RPMK would subsequently regulate only the inclusion of pictorial health warnings on the packaging of tobacco products and electronic cigarettes. “Yes, the same as what is currently applicable to conventional cigarettes, and it will also apply to electronic cigarettes,” he said.

Benget further stated that the RPMK on the Inclusion of Health Warnings and Information on Tobacco Products and Electronic Cigarettes would be promulgated by the end of August 2026 and would become mandatory 24 months thereafter.