photo: KADIN Meeting, Monday, December 23rd
Indonesia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KADIN) urges customs authority to release thousands of import containers carrying plastic waste from Tanjung Priok.
Suspected containing toxic and hazardous substances (B3), those containers are potential to create polution and disturb the process of loading unloading at this Indonesia’s main gateway for export import activities.
KADIN Vice Chairman for Trade Benny Sutrisno said such request remains a recommendation of a meeting among stakeholders and related associations on Monday, December 23rd. In addition to other issues, solution for those containers that were still being arrested, was on a top discussion agenda.
He also urged the Ministry of Environment and Foreistry Affairs (KLHK) to do labotarary check since they are suspectedly contaminated with B3.
Kadin also worried those containers caused a business uncertainty and disturbed the activities at the port that handled more than 65% of Indonesia’s international trade. Furthermore, Tanjung Priok is a barometer of Indonesia economy.
“After being released from the port, the KLHK can do check to make sure which ones are contaminated with B3 and which ones are not,” said Benny.
Trade Ministry’s Director General for Consumers Protection and Commercial Procedure Veri Anggriono said that the ministry has actually approved to release those containers from the port.
“Just release them to the owner’s warehouses. And let us check together. After check, let those without B3 be used for industry as raw materials and re-export or wiping out those contained with B3,” said Veri.
“This step is so important,” said Veri, in a bid to create business certainty and to sustain the export oriented plastic industry.
Recommendation
Kadin, according to Benny, would send letters of recommendation to Coordinating Ministry of Economy and Indonesia Directorate General of Customs and Excise (DJBC) to release those containers from the port.
Kadin recommended to release the containers that had been arrested for over 150 days to be released to area or warehose of the importers. Then, they can be grouped after doing check.
According to Kadin, this step is so urgent, thus not disturbing any activities at the port.
Kadin also questioned the result of surveyor’s check, saying that those containers carrying plastic waste.
“Those containers are not facing problems if the surveyor concludes those containers do not contaminate with B3,” he said.
Directorate General of Customs earlierly explained that there were 2,041 boxes containing import plastic waste arrested at some ports, including Tanjung Perak Surabaya, Batam, Tanjung Priok, and Tanggerang. As many as 1,024 containers are arrested at Tanjung Priok.
Those containers are originated from several countries, including Australia, Belgium, French, Germany, Greek, Netherland, Slovenia, United States, New Zealand, Hong Kong, and United Kingdom.
KADIN has actually recommended to set task force involving any stakeholders to find solution.
Indonesia Maritime, Logistics and Transportation Watch (IMLOW) General Secretary Achmad Ridwan Tentowi aggrees with Kadin recommendation.
Ridwan again noted thousands of containers carrying import plastic waste suspected containing hazardous and toxic substances, potential to make poution. Hence, they must soon be released.
The meeting at the Kadin office also discussed the costs of the process of releasing the containers from the port. The meeting recommended the cost is a business to business issue among terminals, temporary freight station (TPS), shipping line, and importers.
