If TikTok Asks For A Sales Permit, Bahlil: I Don't Give It

JAKARTA - Investment Minister/Head of the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) Bahlil Lahadalia said he would not give TikTok permission to carry out trading activities. The reason is, this platform from China only holds permits as social media.

Even if Tiktok applied for permission to sell, Bahlil admitted that he would still not give permission.

"No. I can't, I can't give (permit). Because the rules are social media, later if TikTok (allowed), Whatsapp will also be made again. What do we want to be, "he said when met at the BKPM Office, Jakarta, written Tuesday, September 26.

If TikTok does not heed the government's warning to stop selling, continued Bahlil, the government will revoke the application's permit.

"I was forced to make a decision if I played around, there was no story," he said.

Furthermore, Bahlil said that the current government wants to regulate the governance of cross-border goods. Because, so far these items have entered the country without paying taxes.

Therefore, continued Bahlil, regulations regarding social commerce should not be merged with e-commerce will be contained in the revision of the regulation of the Minister of Trade (Permendag) Number 50 of 2020.

"The Ministry of Trade has been prepared for TikTok-rich information, only for social media, don't use it for sale," he said.

Regarding this new regulation, Bahlil admitted that there was no need to talk about it to TikTok. Because they are the ones who should obey government regulations.

Bahlil even invited TikTok to leave Indonesia if they objected to the new rules that the government would enforce.

"Why do they talk to them? They have to join the country. If (the objection is allowed) to leave, let it leave. What's the business? What's the loss to the state?," he said.