National

Department of Industry Working with Police and BIN against Illegal Cigarettes
Tuesday, 13 September, 2005 | 19:23 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Kediri, East Java:The Indonesian Minister of Industry, Andung A. Nitimiharja, has stated that he has already established coordination with the National Police, the State Intelligence Agency (BIN), the Customs & Excise office and all cigarettes manufacturers in Indonesia.

This is aimed at immediately conducting joint operations to prevent the distribution of illegal cigarettes.

“We have established an operational team and have already found out about illegal cigarette boxes,” Nitimiharja told Tempo in between a meeting with the board of directors of PT Gudang Garam Tbk, Kediri, East Java, on Monday afternoon (12/09).

According to Nitimiharja, cigarettes are one of the most important industries in Indonesia because this industry contributes taxes amounting to Rp30 trillion per year.

Therefore, the government will not ignore any problems in this sector.

“The problem of illegal cigarette really endangers the stability of the national cigarette industry. We have discussed this problem inter departmentally,” said Nitimiharja. (Dwidjo U. Maksum-Tempo News Room)