Minister asks Australia to tighten cow export supervision
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Agriculture Minister Suswono said he had asked the Australian government to tighten its supervision over cow exports to Indonesia to avoid transactions in violation of Indonesian import regulations.
He had made the request following the discovery of the illegal importation of 2,516 cows from Australia not long ago.
"We have asked Australia to watch over cow exports to Indonesia more carefully, and to respect Indonesian regulations," he said here Friday.
The Quarantine Office at Jakarta`s Tanjung Priok port last May 22 detained 2,256 cows imported from Australia including one dead animal and two weak ones. The importer, PT SP, proved to have brought in the cattle with a license (SPP) that had expired on April 30, 2010.
Because of the irregularity, the agriculture ministry had ordered PT SP to re-export the cows, and forbidden the company to import cattle for a period of six months.
After PT SP received the sanctions, the Australian government had sent a letter to the agriculture ministry stating that the cows export was legal and PT SP had submitted all the required documents to the Australian authorities.
Suswono said the case involving PT SP was the first of its kind he had had to handle since taking charge of the agriculture ministry almost a year ago.
With the occurrence of the illegal Australian cow import case, the agriculture ministry would from now on intensify its oversight over all cattle brought into the country from other countries, he said. (*)
He had made the request following the discovery of the illegal importation of 2,516 cows from Australia not long ago.
"We have asked Australia to watch over cow exports to Indonesia more carefully, and to respect Indonesian regulations," he said here Friday.
The Quarantine Office at Jakarta`s Tanjung Priok port last May 22 detained 2,256 cows imported from Australia including one dead animal and two weak ones. The importer, PT SP, proved to have brought in the cattle with a license (SPP) that had expired on April 30, 2010.
Because of the irregularity, the agriculture ministry had ordered PT SP to re-export the cows, and forbidden the company to import cattle for a period of six months.
After PT SP received the sanctions, the Australian government had sent a letter to the agriculture ministry stating that the cows export was legal and PT SP had submitted all the required documents to the Australian authorities.
Suswono said the case involving PT SP was the first of its kind he had had to handle since taking charge of the agriculture ministry almost a year ago.
With the occurrence of the illegal Australian cow import case, the agriculture ministry would from now on intensify its oversight over all cattle brought into the country from other countries, he said. (*)