Trade Minister Zulhas: Illegal Import Task Force Formed Friday Tomorrow

Trade Minister Zulhas (Photo: Mery Handayani/VOI)

JAKARTA - Minister of Trade (Mendag) Zulkifli Hasan said that the task force (Satgas) to overcome imported illegal goods will be launched this week, to be precise Friday, July 19.

The man who is familiarly called Zulhas said that he had also held a meeting with the National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo and the Attorney General, ST Burhanuddin to discuss the plan to form the illegal import task force.

"Maybe tomorrow the Task Force will have formed a task force," said Zulhas while giving a speech at the launching of the Jakarta Muslim Fashion Week (JMFW) 2025 which was held at the Ministry of Trade auditorium, Jakarta, Wednesday, July 17.

Therefore, Zulhas reminded those who are still carrying out illegal buying and selling activities to stop.

"Be careful, the illegal ones, the trades in imported goods are not clear, be careful. This week we will all be hit. I already have a team later from the police, from the prosecutor's office, from business actors, and so on," he said.

Zulhas said the formation of this task force aims to eradicate illegal imports and also protect the domestic fashion industry.

"(This task force) is to protect our fashion industry, our clothes, we will do our best. That's what we do law enforcement," he said.

Previously, it was reported that Minister of Trade Zulkifli Hasan admitted that he had listened to complaints from the Indonesian Employers' Association (Apindo) and the Shopping Center Retailers and Tenants Association (Hippindo) regarding the rise of illegal imported goods.

"Imports are illegal, later we will be followed up together with associations to make a task force. We will check later on the market for illegal goods to sell, what kind of market," he told reporters, in Jakarta, Monday, July 8.

Zulhas said the task force would later inspect items indicated to be illegal. For example, it is not in accordance with Indonesia's national standards (SNI), and the price is very cheap.

For example, continued Zulhas, imported clothes sold on the market are IDR 50,000. He said the goods were definitely illegal, because imported products entering Indonesia would definitely be subject to an additional tariff of IDR 60,000.

Products that should cost, for example, an entry fee of Rp. 50,000 Rp. 60,000 if the sale is Rp. 50,000, that's strange. Later we will see the goods so that we can find real problems," he explained.