Reluctant To Legalize Thrifting Business, Purbaya: I Don't Care

Illustration. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - Minister of Finance (Menkeu) Purbaya Yudhi Sadiveh refused to legalize the business of selling used clothes or threatening. In fact, traders are willing to pay taxes.

"I don't care about the traders. Anyway, the goods are illegal, I will stop," said Purbaya to the media crew, Thursday, November 20.

According to him, the ban on Thrifting traders aims to prevent the opening of markets for illegal imported goods. If it is filled with illegal imported goods, according to him, domestic entrepreneurs will not benefit from the economy.

"If the domestic market is controlled by foreign goods, what are the benefits for domestic entrepreneurs?" said Purbaya.

To maximize the domestic market, the state treasurer ensures that he will take firm action against the practice of selling used imported clothes. Meanwhile, traders who have been selling used imported clothes will be directed to sell MSME goods.

"If they (traders) say they are bad, there are many good ones. Requests to determine the quality of goods, if they are bad, they will not be bought by the community," said Purbaya.

Just so you know, the government has begun to prepare massive substitution steps for the rampant circulation of illegal imported products, especially used clothes and goods without labeling. A total of 1,300 local brands are ready to replace illegal imported products that have been flooding the domestic market.

The move was discussed at the meeting of the Minister of Trade Budi Santoso and Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Maman Abdurrahman at the Ministry of Trade Office, Jakarta, Monday, November 17.

Trade Minister Budi said the synergy between the two ministries was directed to bring MSMEs up to class, including through the MSMEs Dare to Innovation program, Ready to Adapt (MSMEs Can Export) initiated by the Ministry of Trade.

"We are coordinating to strengthen the competitiveness of MSMEs through the collaboration of existing programs, including the MSME Program, which can be exported initiated by the Ministry of Trade. From a policy perspective, both ministries continue to synergize policies perspectives that favor and support MSME growth," Budi said in an official statement, Monday, November 17.

One of the main highlights of this meeting was the handling of the entry of imported clothing and unlabeled goods which were considered detrimental to the MSME ecosystem.

MSME Minister Maman Abdurrahman revealed that as of today around 1,300 local brands have been registered from other categories of clothing, shoes, accessories, and various other import products to be substituted for illegal imported products.

These products are prepared to replace the circulation of imported used clothing, so that imported clothing traders can be directed to sell quality local clothing, said Maman.

Lebih lanjut, Maman bilang, langkah ini menjadi momentum penguatan pemberdayaan UMKM secara menyeluruh.

Termasuk juga menciptakan ekosistem pemberdayaan UMKM yang lebih solid.

Furthermore, Maman said, this step is a momentum to strengthen the empowerment of MSMEs as a whole.

This includes creating a more solid MSME empowerment ecosystem.