The Illegal Import Eradication Task Force Is Considered More Effective Than The Implementation Of BMAD-BMTP

Shopping center (Photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - The Association of Indonesian Shopping Center Retailers and Tenants (Hippindo) has opened its voice about the steps taken by the Minister of Trade (Mendag) Zulkifli Hasan to form a task force to eradicate illegal imports.

Chairman of Hippindo Budihardjo Iduansjah said shopping center entrepreneurs agreed with the move. According to him, the formation of the task force will be more effective in overcoming the flood of imported products in the country than the policy of Anti-dumping Import Duty (BMAD) and Safeguard Import Duty (BMTP).

"Positive response (Hippindo) once we meet the Attorney General, the National Police Chief, yes, that's good. Indeed, what is needed is no longer the rules for raising import duties, but it is more taken care of, right, regarding supervision," said Budihardjo when met at the Jakarta International Investment, Trade, Tourism and SME Expo (Jitex) 2024 press conference at DKI Jakarta City Hall, Wednesday, July 17.

Budiharjo assessed that it is currently important for the government to find the culprit for the entry of imported products, including illegal imported goods, which resulted in many domestic production bases falling.

When asked about BMAD and BMTP policies, Budiharjo said similar rules had been implemented in Indonesia. He even highlighted the safeguard policy that previously applied in the country. However, Budihardjo assessed that the regulation does not work optimally in suppressing the flow of imported products.

"In my opinion, right, it has been done for three years for safeguards. Right, the results are still like that. That means, the medicine is ineffective, the medicine is not that," he said.

Even so, Budiharjo emphasized that the government must be consistent in the steps to establish this illegal import task force. "(The medicine) is the task force. As long as it can be consistent and correct," he said.

On the other hand, Budiharjo said, currently his party has been summoned by the Ministry of Trade (Kemendag) to discuss this task force. Although Budi does not know for sure whether Hippindo will be involved in this task force or not.

"We are being asked to go to the Ministry of Trade, we are also asked to provide input for that. In principle, right, we have difficulty in entering (import products) which are official so that convenience is given. So that we ask that 1,000 be given 100, just fulfill it, right, we have paid taxes. The state benefits, we import officially," he added.

Previously, the Ministry of Trade (Kemendag) targeted the establishment of a task force (Satgas) to eradicate illegal imported goods to be completed in the near future.

Special Staff to the Minister of Trade for International Trade Agreement Bara Krishna Hasibuan said the basic legal draft for the formation of the task force had been completed and only had to be signed by the Minister of Trade (Mendag) Zulkifli Hasan.

"Regarding the Task Force, hopefully one to two days it will be formed. The final draft is already there, just waiting for the approval of the Minister of Trade, we will immediately work," he said at the Ministry of Trade office, Jakarta, Monday, July 15.

Bara explained that the formation of the task force was important. Moreover, he said, the issue of illegal imports is considered complicated and many parties have complained about it.

He added that the task force team would later consist of the Ministry of Trade (Kemendag) of the Ministry of Industry (Kemenperin), businessmen, associations, Customs and Excise to law enforcers such as the prosecutor's office and the police.

"This is a very compacted problem and for that we are indeed in the process of drafting a task force involving other ministries to address them, to be able to handle the illegal goods that enter," he said.