Sidoarjo, East Java (ANTARA) - Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan destroyed imported products confiscated in post-border import trade activities' monitoring operation, worth Rp11 billion (US$726 thousand), in Sidoarjo, East Java.

"The illegally imported products, worth Rp11 billion, were destroyed in a follow up to the post-border import trade examination and monitoring activities," Hasan stated here, Saturday.

The minister said that the destroyed goods are products confiscated in the Surabaya trade monitoring office's work area during the January-September 2022 period.

"Those products are proven to be imported illegally or not in accordance with our import regulations," he noted.

A total of 15 types of goods were destroyed by the authority, he remarked, adding that some types of goods are electronic, forestry, plastic, and clothing products.

Parties that imported the destroyed goods had no import licence as per Trade Minister Regulation No. 25 of 2022 on Changes into Trade Minister Regulation No. 20 of 2021 on Import Policy and Management, the minister stated.

"The eradication (of illegally imported products) is a measure to ensure business actors observe trade laws during their operation," Hasan affirmed.

He added that post-border commodity imports had been regulated by Trade Minister's Regulation No. 51 of 2020 on Post-Border Import Checks and Monitoring.

The minister said that as the government had provided various facilities for business actors in the licence application, fiscal facilities, and assistance to industry, business actors are expected to reciprocate the facilities by adherence to the law and regulation in their operations.

"Hence, business actors are expected to observe laws in their operations," he remarked.

The Trade Ministry has currently established four Trade Monitoring Offices in four major cities of Medan in Sumatra, Bekasi in West Java, Surabaya in East Java, and Makassar in Sulawesi. The monitoring office's duty includes consumer protection, domestic interest and industry, and ensuring smooth trade monitoring in regions.
Related news: Over 13,000 imported products frozen out of govt e-catalogue
Related news: LKPP freezes 5,500 medicinal products violating import substitution


Translator: Indra Setiawan, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Suharto
Copyright © ANTARA 2022