Trade Minister Zulhas Asks His Staff To Research To Trace The Origin Of Cheap Clothes Sold In The Market

Minister of Trade Zulkifli Hasan. (Photo: Mery Handayani/VOI)

JAKARTA - Minister of Trade (Mendag) Zulkifli Hasan asked his staff at the Ministry of Trade to trace the origin of the inclusion of cheap clothes sold on the market. You do this by doing research.

In fact, the man who is familiarly called Zulhas asked his staff to involve experts from universities to conduct detailed research. For example, by holding the University of Indonesia.

"Mr. Kasan (Head of the Trade Policy Agency) will try in detail, yes, we will comprehensively research. What really happened. So that later we can't refuse anymore. Research is really together with experts. Ask from UI if necessary," he said during a speech at the Central and Regional Trade Civil Servant Investigator Coordination Forum (PPNS), in Jakarta, Wednesday, August 21.

Zulhas also asked that large centers be visited for questioning regarding the origin of the goods sold in the shopping center.

Markets, wholesale market centers are big. Tanah Abang, Manggadua, East Java, Jakarta, West Java, Central Java, North Sumatra, Makassar. Research, asked. Where did the goods come from in that market? So if that's the case, it will be caught. Where did the goods come from, "he explained.

According to Zulhas, research on codition in the field needs to be done. This is because the price of clothing in the market is much cheaper, even below the tax price imposed.

"Because at the Ministry of Trade there is a rule that t-shirts enter here, from abroad, taxed Rp. 60,000 one. But (on the market) the sale is Rp. 60,000 three, right, that doesn't make sense," he said.

"Well, we'll see what the problem really is. Where are the obstacles. Now we'll learn all of this. Because if goods come from outside, we can know actually. It's just that we don't tax, there's no rule," he continued.

Zulhas did not deny that even though the government had formed a Certain Goods Supervisory Task Force that was implemented by the Import Commercial Procedure or the Illegal Import Task Force, illegal imported goods were still flooding the domestic market.

Some time ago, we formed an alternative task force. I just noticed, if we make the Task Force, such as germs, the task force will be stronger, more sophisticated," he said.

"It's not gone like that. It's turned off, it's getting stronger. This is actually what happened," he continued.

For your information, the Illegal Import Task Force after it was formed on July 19, 2024, has secured illegal imported goods in three different locations.

Most recently, the Task Force secured illegal imported goods that entered Indonesia, which amounted to Rp46.18 billion.

The Minister of Trade (Mendag) Zulkifli Hasan said the items confiscated by the Illegal Import Task Force were of various types. Starting from laptops, photocopies, cellphones, finished clothes, textile products, footwear to cosmetics.

"From the results of the action, the total value of goods is estimated at Rp46,188,205,400," he said at a press conference and the destruction of Bekasan Clothing (Balpres), at the Customs Hoarding Site (TPP) Cikarang, West Java, Tuesday, August 6.