Trade Minister Zulhas Regarding The Reason For The Establishment Of An Illegal Import Task Force: Can Take Action Through Legal Paths

JAKARTA - The Minister of Trade (Mendag), Zulkifli Hasan alias Zulhas opened his voice regarding the reasons behind the formation of a task force to monitor illegal goods.

With the task force, he said, legal action can be taken.

For your information, the Ministry of Trade itself already has the Directorate General of Consumer Protection and Trade Order (PKTN).

Through PKTN, the Ministry of Trade can only take action in the form of destroying goods in circulation that do not comply with the provisions and also provide administrative sanctions.

"If there are law enforcement officers, we can't punish people. There is a court, there is an investigation, if the Minister of Trade is diplomatic. So we cooperate with the Police and the Attorney General," he said when met at the Office of the Ministry of Trade, Jakarta, Wednesday, July 17.

Zulhas said that the formation of this task force was motivated by the entry of reports related to the large number of illegal imported goods.

In fact, these products are sold in Indonesia at prices that are far below the market price of local products.

"There are so many reports from associations, from Kadin, Hipmi, from Apindo, Hippindo, yes, items that are allegedly illegal. For example, this T-shirt has entered one Rp. 60,000, if it is sold for Rp. 50,000," he explained.

After it is officially formed, he continued, the task force will conduct inspections to locations where illegal imported clothing is sold. The locations are on the islands of Java, Sumatra to Sulawesi.

"We already know the points, we will carry out field activities. Later there will be Banten, Jakarta, Central Java, East Java, North Sumatra, there will be Batam, Central Sulawesi," he said.

Therefore, Zulhas reminded business actors not to mess around. He said that if business actors are caught importing Ilegarly, it will be handled directly by the Task Force.

"Be careful, the illegal ones, the trades in imported goods are not clear, be careful. In the past few weeks we will all be hit," he said.

Previously, it was reported that the Minister of Trade (Mendag) Zulkifli Hasan said that the task force (Satgas) to overcome imported goods of illegal goods would be launched by this feed, to be precise Friday, July 19.

The man who is familiarly called Zulhas said that he had also held a meeting with the National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo and the Attorney General, ST Burhanuddin to discuss the plan to form the illegal import task force.

"Maybe tomorrow the Task Force will have formed a task force," said Zulhas while giving a speech at the launching of the Jakarta Muslim Fashion Week (JMFW) 2025 which was held at the Ministry of Trade auditorium, Jakarta, Wednesday, July 17.