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Govt to undo latest curbs on personal imports
Following widespread protests, it appears the government has decided to backtrack on the baggage restrictions it issued in March by reinstating the previous provisions on personal imports.
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Around 100 female migrant workers from West Sumatra and neighboring Jambi, Riau and South Sumatra prepare to board a bus on March 15, 2023 in West Sumatra’s provincial capital Padang to depart for jobs in Malaysia. (Antara/Iggoy el Fitra)
T
he government has decided to revise Trade Ministry Regulation No. 36/2023 to allow greater lenience for all travelers to import goods purchased overseas for personal use.
The regulation sparked widespread criticism when it entered into force last month over its tightened import rules for travelers bringing foreign goods into the country in their baggage.
According to a statement from the Office of the Coordinating Economic Minister published on Tuesday, a ministerial meeting earlier in the day decided to eliminate the provisions on personal imports from the wide-ranging ministerial regulation.
“[It] has been agreed that personal goods in passenger baggage will be excluded from Trade Ministry Regulation No. 36/2023,” the statement said, and that the related provisions would revert to their previous iterations in Trade Ministry Regulation No. 25/2022 and Finance Ministry Regulation No. 143/2023.
“There was a lot of protest in response to the implementation of Trade Ministry Regulation No. 36/2023. A month ago, I requested another meeting to address the issue,” Trade Minister Zulkifli Hassan said after Tuesday’s meeting, as quoted by CNBC Indonesia.
Read also: Passengers still confused about import rules
The meeting involved Zulkifli, Coordinating Economic Minister Airlangga Hartarto and representatives from the Customs Office, Bisnis.com reported on Tuesday.
