JAKARTA. PT HM Sampoerna Tbk (HMSP) placed an investment worth USD 166.1 million or IDR 2.37 trillion to establish a production plant for tobacco sticks for IQOS to create various additional values.
In an official statement yesterday (30/11), Mindaugas Trumpaitis, President Director of Sampoerna, claimed that this facility establishment is a part of a global commitment of Philip Morris International (PMI) to provide smoke-free tobacco products as a better alternative for adult smokers.
The said plant would manufacture tobacco sticks for IQOS named Heets. IQOS is a device for heating up tobacco instead of burning it completely and could not be dubbed as e-cigarettes. However, it could be considered as an alternative that bridges traditional cigarette sticks and vaping products.
Trumpaitis wished that this investment could create rippling beneficial effects. For instance, it could add more value, utilise tobacco leaves from local farmers, provide more working opportunities for high-skilled workers, while increasing investors’ trust in Indonesia’s investment climate.
The said facility would be PMI’s seventh production centres globally and the second in Asia. It is actually an extension of Samporna’s production plant in Karawang. Currently, IQOS and its tobacco sticks with the brand Heets have been distributed across Jakarta, Surabaya, Bali, and Medan. (AM/ZH)