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Govt mulls turning confiscated illegally imported goods into industrial fuel
Task force has confiscated billions of rupiah worth of illegally imported goods since its establishment, including thousands of tools such as grinders and drills, electronic gadgets, furniture, textiles, leather goods, footwear and alcoholic beverages, among many others.
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Workers join a rally at in Central Jakarta on July 3, 2024, demanding companies stop
laying off textile industry workers (Antara/Akbar Nugroho Gumay)
T
he Trade Ministry is considering whether to turn illegally imported goods that it has confiscated into industrial fuel for factories. Trade Ministry Domestic Trade Director General Moga Simatupang said that it did not have budget flexibility to destroy the confiscated goods despite its role leading a task force on illegally imported goods.
“[We will] coordinate with the National Police, who have access [to the goods]. Some will be burned depending on the budget availability. If [the budget] is not enough, [we will] give it to industry [for fuel],” he told reporters in Jakarta on Monday, as reported by Kumparan.
“It depends on the agency that gets hold of the confiscated goods. If [for example], the Customs and Excise Office has the goods, they will [decide] if they should be destroyed or what,” he added.
Read also: Businesses call for amendment to already revised import curbs
The government formed the task force on July 18 in answer to growing concerns over an influx of imported goods, including those smuggled into the country.
In Trade Ministerial Regulation No. 36/2023, which took effect in March 10, the government decided to restrict imports by changing to import supervision, rather than waiting until after the goods had arrived in the country, as previously.
The regulation, however, was met with a backlash from industries relying on imported inputs and airline passengers, who were also affected by the restriction. The government revised the policy, reverting back to the arrangement before the ministerial regulation was put in place.
