Teten Disagrees With Positive List Proposal To Enter Permendag 50 Of 2020

Coordinating Minister for SMEs Teten Masduki (Photo: Doc. Kemenkop UKM)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Cooperatives and SMEs (Kemenkop UKM) does not approve the proposal to make a positive list or list of items that are allowed to be imported at a price below 100 US dollars or equivalent to Rp. 1.5 million in the revised Regulation of the Minister of Trade (Permendag) Number 50 of 2020.

This was revealed by the Minister of Cooperatives and SMEs (Menkop UKM) Teten Masduki when met by reporters at the Kemenkop UKM Building, Jakarta, Monday, August 14.

"I don't agree with that (positive list proposal). This is in accordance with the direction of the President because, right, we actually want to encourage downstreaming in the country," said Teten.

Teten prefers that the government imposes import duties on these imported products. The import duties apply to all imported products, without being distinguished based on the positive list.

In addition, imported goods that actually exist in Indonesia are prohibited from entering. That way, local goods or import substitutions in the country will be flooded with markets.

"So, the import substitution policy program for spending on the procurement of government goods and services, right, you have to buy local products now, 40 percent. The state budget, right, to buy local products means so that MSME products are protected," said Teten.

Furthermore, Teten said, this had been conveyed to the Minister of Trade (Mendag) Zulkifli Hasan.

"Sudah (diberikan usulannya) dan ini untuk mencegahkan terjadinya predatory pricing," pungkasnya.