Jakarta, Sept. 19 -- Indonesian Minister of Finance Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa has pledged to take firm action against illegal cigarettes to curb state losses in excise and protect legitimate industry players.

Speaking at the Finance Ministry headquarters in Jakarta on Friday, he said he had instructed his aides to oversee the supply chain of illicit cigarettes, particularly those circulating through online platforms.

"We will look into this matter. I will visit East Java to communicate with industry players and ask whether their businesses are in decline. If that is the case, I will take measures to protect their market from excise-free, illegal cigarettes circulating online," Sadewa affirmed.

The minister underlined the importance of safeg...