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Customs and Excise office emphasizes synergy for Operation Gempur 2022
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s part of its efforts to optimize state revenue from the excise sector and reduce the circulation of illegal excisable goods (BKC), the Customs and Excise Directorate General is rolling out Operation Gempur for 2022.
Carried out by all vertical Customs and Excise agencies simultaneously and in an integrated manner, Operation Gempur started on May 17 and will end on June 18.
The operation is expected to reduce the circulation of illegal cigarettes to 3 percent from the current level of 4.86 percent, increase the demand for legal BKC, as well as optimize excise revenues, which have a significant impact on revenue sharing from tobacco product excise funds (DBHCHT) to support several important sectors, such as health financing, law enforcement and the welfare of farmers and cigarette factory workers.
Customs and Excise director of communications and guidance for service users Nirwala Dwi Heryanto said that based on national customs enforcement data, the intensity and quality of BKC enforcement have increased since 2018.
For 2022, as of April, Customs and Excise has carried out 7,666 prosecutions for illegal cigarettes with evidence in the form of 162.6 million cigarettes, along with 567 prosecutions for illegal alcohol with evidence amounting to 42,291 liters of alcoholic beverages.
Seizing illegal cigarettes and alcoholic beverages dominates the work of the agency. The contraband is marketed online and transported using expedited services.
“This is a new modus operandi for the marketing and distribution of illegal BKC, as they commonly used high-speed craft along the coast, facility violations, illegal imports through main ports and illegal BKC production modes carried out in residential homes," Nirwala explained.
"Operation Gempur this year was carried out in response to the increasing production of tobacco products, which was followed by an increase in the production of illegal cigarettes to meet market demand. As we know, economic conditions that have not fully recovered have an impact on the increased demand for cheap cigarettes.”
Nirwala noted that Customs and Excise’s efforts would be made more optimal with the support of various related agencies and the community.
"Synergy is important in the success of Operation Gempur. For this reason, we are synergizing with law enforcement officers, such as by strengthening cooperation agreements with the Indonesian Military [TNI] and National Police to facilitate inter-agency coordination, optimizing joint programs with the Directorate General of Taxes, as well as collaborating with local governments in the utilization of DBHCHT as well as the implementation of public awareness campaigns and joint market operations.
“We hope that the purpose of this operation, which is to reduce the level of circulation of illegal BKC, will ultimately be achieved to optimize state revenues," he said.
Nirwala also appealed to the public to actively contribute to Operation Gempur,
"To BKC entrepreneurs and traders of BKC, cease offering, selling or circulating illegal BKC, especially illegal cigarettes. The general public can make a report at the nearest Customs and Excise office, or call Bravo Bea Cukai at 1500225 if there are indications of illegal BKC circulation," he said.
