Ministry of Health Synchronizes Excise on Packaged Sweetened Beverages

The Ministry of Health (“ Kemenkes ”) has submitted a number of studies to the Ministry of Finance (“ Kemenkeu ”) regarding the implementation of excise on Packaged Sweetened Beverages (Minuman Berpemanis dalam Kemasan- “ MBDK ”) in various countries. The regulation is planned to be implemented in 2026.

“We have previously held meetings and discussions with Kemenkeu. Kemenkes has provided input regarding benchmarks for implementation in other countries,” said Siti Nadia Tarmizi, Director of Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases, to Hukumonline.

At present, the excise scheme for sweetened foods and beverages is still being discussed internally within Kemenkeu. Siti Nadia Tarmizi stated that the Government may adopt or align its approach with countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, and Australia in implementing the regulation on MBDK.

For example, in Singapore, packaged foods and beverages are categorized using a nutrition labeling scheme with grades from A to D, where grade A represents the least healthy products for consumption and grade D represents the healthiest. If a similar scheme were implemented in Indonesia, it is expected to help reduce the incidence of diabetes in the country.