Teten Calls Positive List Import Products Via E-commerce Still Discussed By 3 Ministries

Minister of Cooperatives and SMEs (Menkop UKM) Teten Masduki. (Photo: Theresia Agatha/VOI)

Minister of Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises (MenKopUKM) Teten Masduki said the list of imported goods on the positive list or allowed to enter directly across countries through e-commerce is still being discussed by three technical ministries in the economic sector.

Teten explained that the positive list is imported goods that can enter directly through online trading, with the value of the goods below 100 US dollars or around Rp. 1.5 million.

"Well, what items are regulated in the positive list, the three ministries are still discussing it, by the Ministry of Cooperatives and Stakes, the Ministry of Trade and the Ministry of Industry," said Teten, quoted from ANTARA, Wednesday, October 11.

Teten said the three technical ministries in the economic sector would provide recommendations to the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs as the person in charge of imports.

Meanwhile, KemenKopUKM, said Teten, is still conducting discussions and has not submitted its proposal, but he has provided a proposal direction that will be submitted to adjust to the needs of the domestic market and more importantly protect domestic products so as not to be hit by foreign products.

"The president has given directions that if we can produce our own, why do we have to import? That's why we limit the 100 dollars, below that we have to import ordinary ones and then sell them online," he said.

Although he said there would be many commodities being discussed, it is possible that they will be included in the protection or cannot enter directly, said Teten, are items such as electronics, textiles and textile products, cosmetics, children's toys and shoes that can already be produced domestically.

"Well, what we have arranged will have a tightening of imports, so it will be around that," he said.

However, he also emphasized that the import policy must consider whether domestically there are industries or products that are hit or not, or for example using quotas.

"Such as the import of garlic, the quota is allowed because domestically, for example, only produces 50,000 tons, even though the need is 500,000 tons, so the import permit is only 450,000 tons allowed," he said.

The positive list formulation is a follow-up to Article 19 paragraph 4 of the Regulation of the Minister of Trade (Permendag) No.31/2023 concerning Business Licensing, Advertising, Guidance, and Supervision of Business Actors in Trade Through Electronic Systems. This rule was promulgated on September 26, 2023.

In the regulation, it is stated that goods at prices below 100 US dollars per unit that are allowed to enter directly into Indonesia will be determined by the minister based on the results of a coordination meeting at the ministerial/head of the relevant non-ministerial government institution.