Make Sure The Flow Of Goods Returns To Smooth, Airlangga Asks For Agencies At Tanjung Priok Port To Work 24 Hours

Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs (Menko) Airlangga Hartarto. (Photo: Doc. Coordinating Ministry for the Economy)

Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto when delivering, tightening imports and adding import licensing requirements in the form of technical considerations have raised obstacles to the import licensing process and resulted in container buildup in a number of main ports, including Tanjung Priok Port.

This is in response to the obstacles and obstacles faced related to the current process of importing goods, the government has decided to reorganize the Regulation of the Minister of Trade Number 36 of 2023 in conjunction with 3 of 2024 in conjunction with 7 of 2024 concerning Import Policy and Regulation, as well as issuing a Decree of the Minister of Finance which re-establishes the List of Goods Subject to the Prohibition of Import Restrictions.

So far, at least 17,304 containers have been detained at Tanjung Priok Port because they have not been able to apply for imported documents and have not yet been issued with the Application for Imports and Technical Considerations.

"With the President's directive yesterday to resolve the issue of import licensing, Permendag 8 of 2024 has been issued and today it is hoped that as a result of the Permendag, the 17 thousand containers that are piled up can be resolved immediately," he said in his official statement, quoted on Sunday, May 19.

Airlangga conveyed that the regulation of the Minister of Trade Number 8 of 2024 which will take effect starting on May 17, 2024, contains a number of policy points, including relaxation of import licensing for 7 groups of goods that were previously tightened by imports such as electronics, footwear, finished clothes, accessories, cosmetics and household supplies, bags, and valves.

Furthermore, Airlangga conveyed that the import relaxation policy was followed by the expenditure (release) for several commodity groups that had met the provisions for the relaxation of import permits required in Permendag Number 8 of 2024, including steel, textiles, bags, and electronics products.

"The commodity is imported by 10 companies and has arrived at Tanjung Priok Port since May 10, 2024," he said.

Accompanied by the Minister of Finance Sri Mulyani Indrawati and Deputy Minister of Trade Jerry Sambuaga, on that occasion Coordinating Minister Airlangga also saw firsthand the expenditure of 5 containers of steel commodity goods.

"We from the Ministry of Finance of the Directorate General of Customs and Excise welcome the change of Permendag 36/2024 to Permendag 8/2024 which simplifies the process of requirements for releasing the container, with the change in requirements to just a Surveyor Report," said Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati.

Airlangga added that the five containers that will be issued are four containers from PT Denso Indonesia which already has a Surveyor Report so that they have met the provisions of Permendag Number 8 of 2024 and 1 container from PT Pandu Equator Prima which directly meets the provisions of Permendag Number 8 of 2024 due to the status of the Main Partner of Customs (MITA).

He asked related ministries/agencies to support efforts to accelerate the settlement of the problem of import licensing, such as encouraging the issuance of Import Approval and accelerating the completion of Technical Considerations.

"I also ask all levels of Customs and Excise Ports at the port, Head of the Main Service Office, Director of Industrial Services Sucofindo, Surveyor Indonesia, JICT Leaders to work such as Saturday, Sunday, Sunday-included ships so that all 24-hour work takes out 17 thousand goods until this goods is completed. The direction of the President is this item so that it can be immediately issued, "concluded Airlangga.