Govt to review 150 conflicting regulations

Govt to review 150 conflicting regulations

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The government will review some 150 regulations on imports and
exports issued by various ministries, because many are reported
to be in conflict with each other and are confusing customs
officials.

A government official has said the conflicting regulations
have hampered the flow of goods in and out of the country and
have hurt many businessmen.

Erman Rajagukguk, the head of the special team established by
the government to solve customs problems, said the team would
review and give recommendations to the related ministries to
revise the conflicting regulations.

"There are some 150 regulations which need to be registered.
Many of them should be revised because they are in conflict with
each other," Erman told Antara, while accompanying Coordinating
Minister for the Economy Dorodjatun Kuntjoro-Jakti to inspect
loading and unloading activities at Tanjung Priok port.

He did not provide any further details, but a source at the
Directorate General of Customs and Excise told The Jakarta Post
that the regulations in question included those issued by the
Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Agriculture on
the import of chicken drumsticks.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade allows the importation of
chicken drumsticks, saying that banning its import would conflict
with World Trade Organization rulings.

However, the Ministry of Agriculture has issued a decree to
ban its importation, arguing that drumstick imports would hurt
local poultry farmers.

The source said the conflicting regulations had caused
significant losses for hundreds of local importers as they were
forced to return imported chicken drumsticks soon after they
arrived at Tanjung Priok.

There are also conflicting regulations on the importation of
secondhand clothing.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade bans the import of used
clothing, but many regional governments, relying on the power
given to them by the Autonomy Law, have issued decrees to allow
its importation.

The massive import of secondhand clothes has sparked an outcry
from the local textile industry, which considers used clothes a
threat to their business.

There are also conflicting regulations on the export of logs.

Last year, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, along with the
Ministry of Forestry, issued a decree to ban the export of logs,
but again, many regional administrations, referring to the
Autonomy Law, have issued their own regulations to allow the
export of this commodity.

The government issued Presidential Decree No. 54/2002 early
this year to set up a special team to solve the various customs
problems in response to public complaints about rampant smuggling
and alleged fraud by customs officials.

The "presidential decree 54 team" includes top officials from
the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the
Ministry of Forestry, the State Ministry of Communications and
Information, the National Police and the Armed Forces.