The Jakarta Post
It was an offer that Suliyati Sanaf, a small shopkeeper in Kalibata, South Jakarta, could hardly resist. In early 2014, she was approached by a salesman from a major tobacco firm and promised various incentives if she was willing to sell its cigarettes and display its brand in her shop. The company offered to give her up to Rp 1.5 million (US$112) a year for displaying some of the company’s cigarette brands on a shelf that was immediately visible from the shop’s entrance. “In addition to that, every three months, I was also given various electronic devices, such as a TV, speakers and a DVD Player. I received a wide-screen 41-inch TV,” Suliyati told The Jakarta Post on Monday. Displaying the company’s cigarette brands and installing its banner was all she had to do according to a contract, which she had to renew annually. She said she was not r...