Meet Moeldoko, Charcoal Briquette Producer Exporter Confess The Difficulty Of Shipping

Photo Dok KSP

JAKARTA - Indonesia's charcoal briquette export activities are experiencing delivery problems.

Shipping companies which incidentally are foreign companies do not accept charcoal briquette products because they are flammable products.

This fact came to light when a number of exporters of charcoal briquette producers met with the Presidential Chief of Staff Moeldoko, at the Bina Graha building, Jakarta, Tuesday, August 2.

"Indonesian charcoal briquettes are excellent because their quality is very good. Importer demand is also high. But again we are constrained by logistical problems," said Diah Tristani, Deputy Chairperson of the Indonesian Raya Nusantara Charcoal Briquette Entrepreneur (Pabnir).

Diah added, in addition to shipping, charcoal briquette entrepreneurs are also having difficulty meeting the various requirements specified. Such as the completeness of the audit and verification of the production site.

"We have followed all the procedures, but they are still considered incomplete. We ask for clear regulations regarding this," said Diah.

On the same occasion, Yogi Abimanyu, Chairman of the Indonesian Coconut Charcoal Entrepreneurs Association (Perpaki) asked President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) to include the coconut charcoal industry and its derivatives on the Negative Investment List.

Because, with the large number of foreign industrial investors entering Indonesia, it will kill the local coconut charcoal industry.

"The coconut charcoal industry is low in investment, low in technology. So with an investment of just one billion, it can be done. If large foreign investors are allowed to enter, the local industry will be depressed," he said.

Abhimanyu assessed that by building a coconut briquette charcoal industry in Indonesia, foreign investors would know the actual production costs.

So that coconut charcoal briquettes are sold cheaply to exporters who are still in the same group in their country.

Meanwhile, in the retail market, it is sold at high prices to get the maximum profit.

“This puts pressure on us. We find it difficult to get a high price because the price has been suppressed by this foreign company,” he explained.

Responding to the complaint, Presidential Chief of Staff Moeldoko emphasized the importance of strengthening the charcoal briquette industry from upstream to downstream.

So, it can have added value and strong competitiveness.

Moreover, he added, Indonesia's charcoal briquette exports averaged 30 thousand tons per month, with a foreign exchange value of Rp 7 trillion.

"This potential needs to be strengthened by the downstream industry so that ease of doing business is needed. Meanwhile, regarding shipping issues, KSP will find a solution," said Moeldoko.