Government Bans Imports Of Used Clothes, Menkop Teten: MSMEs Ready To Supply Goods For Business Actors

Minister of Cooperatives and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Teten Masduki (right). (Photo: Mery Handayani/VOI)

JAKARTA - Minister of Cooperatives and SMEs, Teten Masduki, emphasized that the government strictly prohibits imports of used clothes.

As a solution, he said, the government will find product suppliers to be sold by business actors who have been selling imported used clothes.

Currently, said Teten, there are 12 micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) that are ready to supply products for sale.

"There are 12 replacing illegal goods imported goods, goods, the price can also be competitive. As long as it doesn't fight garbage, if it's against garbage rich in used clothes, it's garbage, while garbage doesn't cost the cost of production, our industry will lose," he said at a press conference, at the Coordinating Ministry for MSMEs, Jakarta, Monday, March 27.

Teten said that his party is also still opening opportunities for MSMEs who are interested in entering their products to be sold by traders who previously sold imported used goods.

"We can register so we are also promoting local products, because domestically it is actually hype for the consumption of local goods in the domestic market, starting from shoe mats made by local brand MSMEs," he explained.

Business actors who are interested can register with the Complaint Service or hotline in the WhatsApp number 0811-1451-587.

In addition, there are also other numbers that can be contacted, namely 1500-587.

This complaint service will operate during working hours, namely on Monday to Friday from 08.00 to 16.00 WIB.

The hotline has been officially opened as of March 21, 2023.

As previously reported, the government strictly prohibits imports of used goods. Both clothing, footwear and other goods.

This step was taken as an effort to save the domestic industry.

Teten explained that sellers of imported products illegally have legal consequences.

However, because textile industry players are micro-class business actors, the government takes a compromise attitude.

"It is emphasized that for traders, retailers, resellers of clothing used for illegal imports, we do not do repression, different from drugs. Moreover, in this fasting month they still have to find sustenance. Yes, we have a compromise there. What we agreed with the Ministry of Trade, we will tighten it so that smuggling continues to enter," said Teten.

Furthermore, Teten said, the rise of used imported goods, especially when done illegally, actually kills domestic industries.

In fact, said Teten, 31 percent of illegal imported goods were recorded, including used goods entering Indonesia. Meanwhile, 41 percent are legal products, both clothing and footwear.

"So it's not just used clothes, the local market is not only disturbed by used clothes. It's impossible for local products to survive to be able to stay in the local market, if these illegal used clothes are still coming in. Because they come here as garbage," he said.