Ministry Of Trade Fails To Export 81,000 Liters Of Illegal Cooking Oil To Timor Leste, Location Of Confiscation At Tanjung Perak Port, Surabaya

Photo: Doc. Ministry of Trade

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Trade has succeeded in thwarting the export of illegal cooking oil to Timor Leste. This success is inseparable from the synergy carried out with the Directorate General of Customs and Excise of the Ministry of Finance and the Food Task Force.

The Director General of Consumer Protection and Trade Order, who also serves as the Acting Director General of Foreign Trade at the Ministry of Trade, Veri Anggrijono, said that at least eight containers with a volume of 81 thousand liters of cooking oil had been confiscated at Surabaya's Tanjung Perak Port.

Furthermore, Veri said that exporters cheated by not including cooking oil in the Goods Export Declaration (PEB) document.

"The Ministry of Trade together with the Food Task Force and the Directorate General of Customs and Excise at the Ministry of Finance will take firm action against any violation of the provisions of the legislation," said Veri in a written statement received by VOI, quoted Friday, May 13.

The Ministry of Trade, continued Veri, will also continue to be committed to increasing synergy and cooperation between institutions in terms of supervision and law enforcement in the trade sector. He also thanked and gave the greatest appreciation to the Indonesian Police, the Attorney General's Office, and the Directorate General of Customs and Excise in carrying out law enforcement in the trade sector.

"Today's activity is an implementation of the MoU between the Ministry of Trade, the National Police, and the Directorate General of Customs and Excise in increasing supervision and law enforcement in the trade sector," he said.

Based on the Regulation of the Minister of Trade Number 22 of 2022 concerning the Temporary Prohibition of Exports of Crude Palm Oil, Refined, Bleached and Deodorized Palm Oil, Refined, Bleached and Deodorized Palm Olein, and Used Cooking Oil, cooking oil has been designated as an item prohibited for export as of 28 April 2022.

Business actors who violate these provisions are threatened with sanctions as stipulated in Article 112 Paragraph (1) in conjunction with Article 51 Paragraph (1) of Law Number 7 of 2014 concerning Trade. The Director of Trade Orderly, the Ministry of Trade, Sihard Hardjopan Pohan, stated that containers containing cooking oil were suspected to be exported illegally. The illegals have been secured by officers.

"Business actors who violate the export of cooking oil can be subject to criminal sanctions for a maximum of five years and/or a fine of a maximum of IDR 5 billion," added the Director of Commerce, Sihard Hadjopan Pohan.