Purbaya Pushes Illegal Cigarette Makers into Legal System Until

Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa has deployed officers to meet illegal cigarette manufacturers, urging them to join the tobacco‑factory agglomeration (APHT) or tobacco‑industry zone (KIHT). The government is offering a special excise‑tax rate as an incentive while tightening import monitoring at ports.

An additional cash‑assistance program amounting to IDR 18 trillion has been disbursed, primarily to beneficiaries in the poorest two income deciles. Recipients in the third and fourth deciles must receive payments through post offices, with the goal of completing distribution this week.

Nine staff members of the Directorate General of Taxation and eight of the Directorate General of Customs were awarded for their performance. Purbaya expects that fiscal measures, including the placement of IDR 200 trillion of surplus budget funds into banks and stimulus packages, will support economic growth above 5 % in 2025.