Trade minister says working group focuses on large wholesalers and importers

The Trade Minister (Mendag) said the Special Task Force (Satgas) to regulate illegal imports has not targeted retailers for processing and they will focus on monitoring the activities of importers, distributors or wholesalers of the seven regulated commodities.The seven commodities are textiles and textile products (TPT), ready-made garments, ceramics, electronic products, beauty or cosmetic products, finished textile products and footwear. The focus of the regulation is on importers or distributors, so he appealed to traders selling these seven legal commodities not to worry about the existence of the task force.

In addition, he disclosed that the newly formed task force, which would commence duty immediately, would focus on monitoring and inspecting the entry points of imported goods, i.e. the ports, rather than retail establishments, as retailing was the end result. The task force will also go to shopping centers to collect information if the task force subsequently needs information from retailers. The Government already had information on where illegally imported goods were stored, but he would not disclose where they were stored.