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YLKI calls for withdrawal of Tobacco Affairs draft bill from Prolegnas
The Indonesian Consumer Foundation (YLKI) has called for the removal of the draft tobacco affairs bill from the 2015-2019 National Legislation Program (Prolegnas), which is set to be approved by the House of Representatives on Monday
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T
he Indonesian Consumer Foundation (YLKI) has called for the removal of the draft tobacco affairs bill from the 2015-2019 National Legislation Program (Prolegnas), which is set to be approved by the House of Representatives on Monday.
'Including the draft tobacco affairs bill on the Prolegnas list is dangerous, especially for children, adolescents and the younger generations,' Tulus Abadi of the YLKI said on Sunday.
The draft tobacco affairs bill is one of several draft bills that will be included on the Prolegnas list.
'The draft tobacco affairs bill is a draft bill promoted by Indonesia's cigarette industry, especially by the major cigarette manufacturers, with a prime purpose to boost production, which currently reaches 365 billion sticks per year,' said Tulus.
He said the draft tobacco affairs bill was created by the cigarette industry to annul tobacco control articles stipulated by Law No.36/2009 on health, Government Regulation (PP) No.102/2012, bylaws and other regulations.
'If the House passes the draft tobacco affairs bill into law, there will be no more control on cigarette consumption except regulations that are created by the cigarette industry and included in the draft tobacco affairs bill as if this draft bill is in favor of the 2009 Health Law.'
Tulus said the YLKI considered the draft tobacco affairs bill to be confusing as it aimed to regulate agricultural, tobacco industry and health matters all at once.
'If the draft tobacco affairs bill wants to protect Indonesia's tobacco farmers, the most urgent thing to do is to stop the importation of tobacco leaves,' he said.
The activist said currently most cigarette production was supported by tobacco imported from China and this was the real cause of the decline in production of tobacco leaves by local farmers.
Tulus said if the draft tobacco affairs bill wanted to protect workers at cigarette factories, it should stop the mechanization of cigarette production that is currently occurring in major cigarette factories. It was such mechanization that had led to a massive layoff of cigarette factory workers in this country.
'Hence, the inclusion of the draft tobacco affairs bill in the Prolegnas must be rejected and cancelled. This is a dangerous draft bill for Indonesian people as it is full with tricks by major cigarette manufacturers,' said Tulus. (ebf)(++++)
