The event was organized on January 31, 2018, in Hotel Santika Dyandra Medan. It was conducted as part of a closing phase under a project titled: Advocacy on the Use of Regional Tobacco Tax in the Province of North Sumatra: A Pilot Project in 4 districts/Cities, namely Deli Serdang, Serdang Bedagai, Tebing Tinggi, and Pematang Siantar, to be completed during the period of December 2016 till November 2017. This project was originally designed toward some achievements, such as: Promoting the understanding of the SKPD and the Legislative of the Province of Sumatera Utara and those within four districts/cities in relation with the positioning, the existence, the use, the allotment, and the accessing mechanism of the tobacco tax; Promoting the capacity of the SKPD of the province, and of the 4 cities/districts; encouraging the involvement of the media in campaigning the transparency on the use of the tobacco tax for health services.
This event entitles National Seminar on the Use of Tobacco Tax for the Development of Health Service and the Improvement of Smoke Free Policy Implementation. It carries three major objectives, namely: First, informing the wide public of the policies regarding regional tobacco tax in relation with the development of the people’s health and law enforcement; Secondly, the sharing of best practices in designing the use of tobacco tax programming in support of health service program for the wide public in Indonesia, most especially in context of Smoke Free Policy implementation; Thirdly, Informing the management principles and strategies as to maximize the use of regional tobacco tax through people’s health programming in the cities and districts within the province of Sumatera Utara.
Five resource persons were deployed into this event; Dr. Theresia Diah Ratih MHA of the the Ministry of Home Affairs, Drs. Edward Sigalingging Msi, of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Mada Drg. H. Usma Polita, M.Kes of the Health Service Office of Medan City, the Head of Health Service Office of Binjai City, and Dr. Rohani Budi Prihatin of the Central House of Representatives.
Two moderators were presented during the event, namely: Arif SH, MH, of Law Faculty of Universitas Sumatra Utara, and Ricky Banke SH, of TVRI Station of Medan City.
This national seminar was attended by 100 participants coming from SKPD of the 10 cities/districts, plus those from12 organizations; universities, journalists, local civil societies, universities, etc,; and 10 media organizations; printed media and electronic ones.
This national seminar was officially inaugurated by Drs. Prawoto, the Acting Director, the Deputy Chairman of Yayasan Pusaka Indonesia, and was closed with a commitment to widen the socialization of the issue to other provinces, districts, and cities across Indonesia. Pusaka Indonesia is committed to conducting further effort of research in five bigger cities in Indonesia, ahead of time, regarding the issues of tobacco controlling and the effective use of tobacco tax in support of health service.
