Jakarta (ANTARA) - There could be regulations in place on gadgets brought from abroad to be used in Indonesia following the implementation of the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI), the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology has said.

The policy will regulate the gadget brought from abroad regarding its operation and other issues, the Director General of Resources, Post and Information at the Ministry, Ismail said in a discussion on Potential Losses of Consumers, Industries, States due to Cell Phone Black Market and its Solutions here, Friday.

The government is considering setting up a regulation that requires every gadget from abroad to be reported to the authorities before it can be used in Indonesia, including reporting the IMEIs of cell phones besides paying taxes.

Another possible regulation is limiting the number of mobile gadgets brought from abroad to the country based on the identification number (NIK).

The government is also exploring the blocking of mobile phones purchased from abroad, yet let them be active in the country but disconnect the gadgets from networks with a local SIM card, Ismail noted.

The government will prepare a reporting system not only for gadgets purchased from abroad but also for those that are lost. For the latter situation, the owners should get a letter explaining their loss from the police, then report the IMEI number of the mobile phone to the National IMEI Database Information System (Sibina).

The government will also make an exception to the IMEI rules for some special needs, such as for diplomats and those in law enforcement.

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Translator: Natisha Andarningtyas/Bambang
Editor: Suharto
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