Indonesia destroys illegal import products worth 1.3 million USD

Jakarta, Aug 19 (IANS) The Indonesian authorities on Monday destroyed illegally imported goods worth 20.22 billion rupiahs ($1.3 million), from industrial machinery and cell phones to pots and pans.Indonesian Minister of Trade Zulkifli Hasan said that the imported goods did not fulfil compliance with import regulations.The goods consisted of grinding machines, drilling machines, mobile phones, and tablets that did not meet Indonesia's standards for goods, Xinhua news agency reported.

"The electric pans and car washing machines alone had values up to 15 billion rupiahs ($963,342). Other goods included boxes, electric boiler cables, tyres, textile goods, downstream plastics, forestry products, and alcoholic beverages," Hasan told reporters at the office in Jakarta.

"This would cause very serious impacts on our state and tax revenues. Even worse, they would certainly disrupt the domestic industries," he added.

Indonesia is currently strengthening its efforts to combat the flood of illegal imported goods.

Hasan said the illegal imports, or what he called the "underground economy," had lost up to 40 per cent of state revenues.

Hasan, through his ministerial institution, is now leading Indonesia's Illegal Imports Task Force which is responsible for cracking down on any illegal shipping that brings goods into the Southeast Asian country's territory.