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Govt revising import restrictions following business outcry
The revision has been concluded and is awaiting signatures, with the final document to be ready by May.
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A worker cuts an iron bar on July 15, 2022, at the Belawan International Container Terminal in Medan, North Sumatra. Belawan Port handles both export and import activities. (Antara/Fransisco Carolio)
T
he government is relaxing recently enacted import restrictions following mounting complaints from both domestic and foreign businesses which have argued that the policy hindered their operations because they faced difficulties obtaining necessary products.
This comes after a meeting of representatives of foreign and domestic business chambers with Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister Luhut Pandjaitan in mid-April, of which The Jakarta Post has photographic evidence.
During the meeting, businesses reportedly expressed their concern and pushed for immediate solutions to the import issues.
“The discussion went well. We deeply appreciate the government’s support and hope the [problems for] companies struggling with import issues will be resolved soon,” Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Indonesia (KoCham) chairman Lee Kang Hyun, who attended the meeting, told the Post on Tuesday.
The import curbs, outlined in Trade Ministry Regulations No. 3/2024 and 36/2023, target finished goods as well as intermediate goods and raw materials categorized under 3,800 harmonized system (HS) codes.
Foreign investors have warned that these measures could lead to industry stockouts and temporary production stoppages, which prompted business chambers to request a reassessment, the Post previously reported.
Coordinating Economic Minister Airlangga Hartarto confirmed that a revision of the policies was underway. “The revision is in progress, and we expect it to be completed by next week,” he told reporters on April 18.
