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.