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Indonesia tops ASEAN in policy interference by tobacco industry: SEATCA index
A 2020 index for Asian and Southeast Asian countries ranks Indonesia as the ASEAN state with the highest level of interference from its tobacco industry in government policies over the last five years, and even during the current health crisis.
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A farmer checks vats of drying tobacco in Tuksongo village, Magelang, Central Java, in this file photo from November 2019. (JP/Maksum Nur Fauzan)
F
or five consecutive years between 2015 and 2019, Indonesia has had the highest level of tobacco industry interference in its policies among ASEAN countries, a recently released index frp, the Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA) has found.
The Bangkok-based NGO assists ASEAN member countries in the accelerated implementation of the provisions in the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC).
SEATCA on Nov. 20 released two separate 2020 Tobacco Industry Interference Index reports, one for Asian countries and the other for ASEAN countries. The index gauges the implementation of Article 5.3 of the WHO FCTC in nine Asian countries and nine Southeast Asian countries, which are given annual scores based publicly available evidence.
With a score of 82 in tobacco industry interference, Indonesia scores the highest after Japan (88) in the Asian index, while it tops the ASEAN index.
Brunei (14) and Pakistan (41) have the lowest levels of tobacco industry interference in Asia and are said to be making progressive improvements, while Brunei ranking the lowest in both Asia and Southeast Asia.
“These reports shine a light on tobacco industry misconduct and how governments in Asia are succeeding or failing to stop industry influence and interference in policy development and implementation. Unfortunately, many are failing,” SEATCA executive director Ulysses Dorotheo said Nov. 20.
The index has found that some countries, including Indonesia, regard the tobacco industry as a legitimate stakeholder in policy development and provide legalized permission for active participation in developing government policies.
