Government and DPR Agree to Open Access to Aceh Diaspora Aid Stuck at Customs

JAKARTA - The government and the Indonesian House of Representatives have agreed to open access to assistance from the Acehnese diaspora in Malaysia who are detained at the Customs.

The agreement was taken in the Coordination Meeting of the DPR RI Disaster Recovery Task Force with the Government Post-Disaster Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Acceleration Task Force, Wednesday, February 18.

Minister of Finance Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa ensured that the Directorate General of Customs and Excise would exempt relief goods as long as there was a letter of certification from the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) stating that the goods were intended for disaster victims.

"As long as there is information from BNPB, we can free you sir. So BNPB said this was goods for disaster assistance, customs would release it," he said.

Hearing the answer, the Head of the Post-disaster Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Acceleration Task Force for Sumatra, who is also the Minister of Home Affairs, Tito Karnavian, said that the assistance would be received and distributed directly by BNPB.

"Later, BNPB will receive it and BNPB will also distribute it," he said.

Previously, the aid was reported to be held at Port Klang, Malaysia, and was planned to be sent to Krueng Geukueh Port, Lhokseumawe.

Meanwhile, the assistance package includes 3,000 liters of cooking oil worth Rp1 billion, granulated sugar of around Rp50 million, mineral water of Rp672 million, 500,000 ready-to-eat food packages worth Rp1 billion, 3,000 bags of new clothes worth Rp126 billion, Al-Qur'an Rp1 billion, and a toilet closet worth Rp4.8 billion.

Tito said that the Customs Service previously requested a number of additional requirements, including approval from the Ministry of Agriculture for cooking oil and sugar commodities, as well as a study on new clothing imports so as not to disrupt the domestic industry.

"From the Customs, they have sent a reply letter to us that cooking oil and granulated sugar must have the approval of the Minister of Agriculture and this new clothing worth Rp. 126 billion must not interfere with domestic production," he explained.

Tito also conveyed that he would work with the security apparatus to ensure that the distribution reached its destination so that there was no deviation.

"We convey that we will monitor this directly from the port, then we will monitor it together with the TNI and the police so that it will immediately go to the refugees, not to be sold anywhere. We are ready to take responsibility for that," he said.

Tito explained that the assistance was sent by Acehnese people who had kinship ties with the families of disaster victims in Aceh.

According to Tito, about 500,000 Acehnese who work in Malaysia have collected aid, especially food, to be sent to their hometowns, but until now the aid has not been received because they have not received entry permits from the Customs.

In a coordination meeting with the DPR, Tito asked for the support of the leadership and members of the council to immediately follow up on this issue.

"But now it is still stuck because the Customs has not allowed it to enter. Well, this is help in the form of a family," he said.

Tito emphasized that the assistance was family-based, not inter-governmental assistance, so it should not require diplomatic procedures such as official state assistance that must go through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

He also conveyed that President Prabowo Subianto had given his approval for the aid to be accepted, on the condition that all goods were inspected and ensured not to contain prohibited items such as narcotics or firearms.

"The President said please accept it as long as there are no prohibited items such as drugs, firearms, and others," he explained.

In the same meeting, Deputy Speaker of the DPR Sufmi Dasco Ahmad stated that the problem could be resolved by granting a dispensation because the assistance was one-time and came from Acehnese residents in Malaysia, not between governments.

He also asked the Minister of Agriculture whether the assistance could enter Indonesia.

"So the conclusion is that this is only a one-time delivery, right? A donation from Acehnese residents in Malaysia. I think the Minister of Agriculture also does not mind because the amount is not too much. Minister of Agriculture?" asked Dasco to the Minister of Agriculture.

Responding to this, Minister of Agriculture Amran Sulaiman had proposed that cooking oil assistance be cashed and spent in the country.

However, he still allowed goods to enter with the note that distribution supervision was carried out strictly.

"If we can still propose it, because we also export cooking oil to several countries, but if it can be cashed, but if it has to be entered, I think it's not a problem but very strict supervision," said Amran.

Furthermore, Dasco emphasized that the problem of this assistance had been solved and asked for cross-ministerial coordination so that the shipment could be immediately entered and distributed, especially before Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr.

"Let's make it clear that we have heard together that this is because it has been bought in time and just sent and only once, and I think maybe we can give a dispensation because it is only once, it is a hassle if it is cashed again. So maybe Mr. Mensesneg and the Minister of Finance can coordinate with the Customs. This was heard from the Minister of Agriculture and this is once and the amount will not interfere so I think we can realize it as soon as possible so that these goods can enter and we will monitor them properly in order to welcome fasting and Eid," said Dasco.