Vice Chairman of Indonesian Regional Representative Council (DPD RI) Sultan B Najamudin asked the Customs and Excise to be professional and fair in setting import duties for the community.
This was conveyed following a recent viral complaint from a buyer of imported shoes that had import duties of up to IDR31.8 million.
“Customs and Excise has an important role in improving the performance of state revenue and protecting the interests of domestic products. So we strongly support every effort of the Indonesian Customs and Excise on importation activities as long as it is in accordance with laws and regulations,” he said through his official statement on Tuesday (30/4).
Nevertheless, the former chairman of HIPMI Bengkulu requested that Customs and Excise be professional and fair in overseeing import transactions carried out by the public.
The public has the right to get the best service and not feel disadvantaged by state officials.
“Customs and Excise is expected to act according to procedures and rules so that it is not considered excessive and irrational in setting import duties,” he said.
At the same time, Sultan said, the public must also understand the rules and mechanisms of import transactions for each product.
He asked the public to report any information on the purchase of imported products needed by Customs and Excise as it is.
“Customs needs to open space for coordination and consultation regarding the types and prices of certain products for the community. So that people get complete regulatory information before importing,” he concluded.
Earlier, a TikTok user with the account name @radhikaalthaf posted a video telling the story of the huge import duty for the purchase of a pair of imported shoes.
They said they had been hit with import duties totalling IDR31.8 million for the purchase of shoes worth IDR10.3 million. The value of the shoe purchase does not include shipping costs or shipping from a shipping service company worth IDR1.2 million. The total cost of the shoes was only IDR11.5 million.
