REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA - Indonesia refuses to ratify Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), the frame initiated by UN's World Health Organization (WHO). Indonesia now is the only country in Southeast Asia that has not ratified the framework.

Two ministries, Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Industry are in charge for the ratification process. According to Director of Food and Tobacco in Ministry of Industry, Enny Ratnaningtyas, in terms of health issue then Indonesia has Governmental Regulation (PP) No. 109/2012 on protection of materials that contain addictive substances in tobacco products. 

This regulation has not been taken into effect since launched last year. Yet, Ratnaningtyas said that Indonesia did not need international framework.

"We are afraid that FCTC will force us to bow to its initiator countries," she said.

Government basically supports measures to maintain public health and contain negative affect of smoking,

Ratnaningtyas said that developed countries would encourage all members to abide the rule. Ministry of Agricuture recorded that there were 6. million workers in upstream and downstream industy of tobacco. There are two million tobacco farmers, 1.5 million clove farmers and 600 thousand workers in cigarette factories in Indonesia. 

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