Imported Used Clothes Still Marak In The Market, Minister Teten: MSME Actors Start Complaining

Minister of Cooperatives and SMEs (Menkop UKM) Teten Masduki. (Photo: Theresia Agatha/VOI)

JAKARTA - Minister of Cooperatives and SMEs (Menkop UKM) Teten Masduki admitted that there are still many imported clothing in the market. This makes MSME players restless.

"(The used import clothes) have started to appear again, some of our MSMEs in the convection sector have started to have complaints," said Teten at the Kemenkop UKM office, Jakarta, quoted on Tuesday, February 20.

Teten assessed that imported clothing should no longer attack the domestic market.

This is because the Ministry of Cooperatives and SMEs has previously coordinated with the Ministry of Trade (Kemendag), the Ministry of Industry (Kemenperin) and the Criminal Investigation Unit of the National Police in eradicating illegal imported clothing.

"It shouldn't be because, right, there has been coordination with the Ministry of Trade, the Ministry of Industry and the Criminal Investigation Department. So, we will try to coordinate in the future," he said.

Even so, Teten did not clearly mention which MSME actors in which areas had started voicing their complaints with the rampant clothing of illegal used imports on the market.

Based on VOI records, these illegal used import clothes not only disturb MSME actors, but have an impact on the impact of occupancy in Indonesian shopping centers.

The reason is, the Indonesian Shopping Center Management Association (APPBI) said that the occupancy of shopping centers could return to 90 percent in 2024 if illegal imports that interfere with the domestic trade climate can be eradicated by the government.

"Actually, what interferes with local products are illegal goods. There are many illegal goods, both online and in-person, such as used clothes and so on that interfere with local products," said APPBI Chairman Alphonzus Widjaja during a press conference in the Kuningan area, South Jakarta, quoted Friday, January 19.

Alphonzus revealed that the occupancy of shopping centers before the COVID-19 pandemic reached 90 percent, then fell 20 percent to 70 percent during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Once the pandemic status is revoked, retailers are optimistic that the occupancy rate will continue to improve.

Evidenced by the occupancy in 2023 which increased to 80 percent and is targeted to reach 90 percent again this year.

The increase in occupancy was also accompanied by the opening of a number of targeted malls before Lebaran 2024.

Even so, Alphonzus said, the target of increasing occupancy and opening new shopping centers was threatened not to be achieved due to the increasing number of illegal products.