Illegal import of ODS still rampant

Illegal import of ODS still rampant

Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The government is considering delaying a ban on the use of ozone-
depleting substances (ODS), mainly CFCs, by industries until
2007, due to the fact that its import remains rampant, a senior
government official has said.

Deputy State Minister of Environment for Environmental
Conservation Liana Bratasida said the use of ODS was worrying as
it remained above 5,000 metric tons as of 2001, although there
had been a declining trend in volume since 1998.

The government has set a target of reducing the use of ODS to
only 700 metric tons of CFCs by the end of 2003.

"Many of our industries have yet to be able to shift their
production process to non-ODS technology, as illegal imports are
still widespread," Liana told The Jakarta Post over the weekend.

"Therefore, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, in
coordination with us, is planning to delay the deadline to limit
the use of ODS."

Liana was referring to a plan to revise several decrees issued
by the Ministry of Industry and Trade, including Decree No.
110/1998, which replaces Decree No. 230/1997 on the trade order
of importing goods.

Under the 1998 decree, only CFC-12, which is used for post-
sales service of refrigerators, is allowed to be imported until
2003 with a maximum amount of 700 metric tons.

Other decrees to be revised are the Minister of Industry and
Trade's Decree No. 410 and No. 411/1998 on the revision of Decree
No. 110/1998, on the ban to produce and trade ODS as well as
prohibiting the production and trade of goods using ODS.

Under the decree, the use of various ODS, such as CFCs and
methyl bromide, in warehouses and pre-shipments, will be banned
in 2005.

Several ODS were banned in 1998. Indonesia does not produce
ODS, but uses it in several products.

The government will revoke business licenses and impose other
penalties on companies that violate this ruling.

ODS have been used for years in the industrial sector, such as
in commercial refrigeration, and the production of aerosols,
foams, tobacco, pesticides and solvents to clean plastics, glass
and metal.

In daily use, ODS-based products are, among other things,
refrigerators, air-conditioners, TV sets, disk drives, weapons,
shoes, lenses, paint strippers and clothing made from metal
fibers.

Liana said that many small and medium enterprises could not
afford to use non-ODS technology due to its cost.

"From what we learned, CFCs were easily obtainable on the
market and the price was very cheap," she said.

She said the government should continue its technical program
for companies to help them make the change to non-ODS technology.

Multilateral funding from the United Nations and the World
Bank, which would reimburse a company's shift from ODS to non-ODS
technology, could be an effective tool for eliminating the
industries' use of ODS, she added.