Anticipating Illegal Goods, Customs And Excise Limits Passenger Goods From Overseas

Illustration of passengers at the airport (ANTARA)

TANGERANG - The Customs and Excise Main Service Office of the Customs Type Customs (KPUBC TMP) C Soekarno-Hatta will limit the luggage of each flight passenger in order to anticipate the circulation of illegal goods from abroad.

"Actually, it's not a prohibition, but we are limiting it because this textile product must be protected," said Head of Customs and Excise Soekarno Hatta Gatot Sugeng Wibowo, in Tangerang, Monday.

He said the limitation of luggage for passengers was a step for Customs and Excise to follow up on the instructions of the Ministry of Trade (Kemendag), which limits the quota of luggage from abroad.

"If we are based on the import approval letter from the trade and later the supervision of our companies will be cut based on the quota," he said.

He revealed that the steps to limit luggage were not only referring to government regulations, but also as an effort to protect domestic products.

"If it is released, it will lose domestic production," said Gatot Sugeng Wibowo.

Previously, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) had emphasized the ban on the import used clothing business or what is often called Thrifting. According to President Jokowi, the business is disrupting the domestic textile industry.

President Jokowi also asked related institutions to trace and follow up on the used clothing import business. Some of the business people, he said, had been caught. "I have ordered them to look right and many people have met a day or two," said Jokowi, Wednesday.