The Mass Layoffs Of The Textile Industry, Entrepreneurs Ask The Government To Focus On Finishing Illegal Imports

JAKARTA - Textile business actors ask for polemics on import policies involving the feud between several ministries to be stopped immediately. The government is expected to focus on solving the main problems that cause layoffs (PHK) and factory closures.

"The longer we argue about the rules, the condition of our textile industry is getting worse. Due to the main problem, right, illegal imports are still ongoing," said General Chairperson of the Indonesian Filament Filament Filament and Fiber Producers Association (APSyFI) Redma Gita Wirawata in his official statement, quoted Wednesday, July 10.

For the umpteenth time, APSYFI asked the government to clean up the bad work of the Directorate General of Customs and Excise of the Ministry of Finance (Kemenkeu) which allowed the mode of buying and selling imports, the escape of the harmonicized system (HS) to under-invoices that occurred freely in front of the eyes. Thus, cheap imported goods flooded the domestic market.

APSYFI also again pressured Sri Mulyani as Minister of Finance (Menkeu) not to go back and forth looking for excuses and diverting issues to cover the poor performance of Customs and Excise under her authority.

In addition, APSYFI is grateful for what has been tried by the Ministry of Trade (Kemendag) and the Ministry of Industry (Kemenperin) to control textile and finished clothing imports through Permendag 36/2023 and Permenperin 5/2024.

"We really understand that since the issuance of these two rules, importers and their partners in Customs and Excise are not happy and make various dynamics until finally the government was forced to issue regulations for relaxation of imports through Permendag 8/2024 because it was cornered," he said.

In addition, the national textiles also strongly requested that Sri Mulyani immediately clean up Customs from officials and officers who conspired with the import mafia to save the national textile industry.

Redma also appreciated the steps taken by the Ministry of Trade to form an illegal import task force with the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry to eradicate the circulation of illegal imported goods in the domestic market.

According to him, the Ministry of Trade has legal tools and umbrellas related to consumer protection to eradicate and even confiscate goods circulating in markets that do not comply with the provisions of Indonesian language labels, K3L rules to mandatory SNI.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Working Convection Entrepreneurs Association (IPKB) Nandi Herdiaman stated that the eradication of illegal imported goods circulating in the market is part of what is being demanded by IKM businessmen.

Here, said Nandi, his party sees that the Ministry of Trade understands very well that the main problem is illegal imported goods. Thus, with its authority, the Ministry of Trade seeks to solve the problem of the textile and clothing sector.

However, IPKB still reminds that the main problem is the entry of illegal imported goods at ports which are the responsibility of Customs and Excise under the auspices of the Ministry of Finance.

"We ask the Minister of Finance (Sri Mulyani) to be responsible for what happened to us, factory layoffs and closures occur everywhere due to the actions of unscrupulous officials and Customs officers who facilitate importers of rogue traders and logistics companies to continue to carry out illegal importing practices," he concluded.