President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) banned the business of imported used clothing. The Southern Sulawesi (Sulbagsel) Customs and Excise Regional Office also deployed an intelligence team to the City of Parepare, South Sulawesi (Sulsel) as one of the areas where the sale of imported used clothing with sack marks (cakar) is rife. "Yesterday we dispatched an intelligence team to Parepare to monitor how far action can be taken and so on," said the Head of the Sulbagsel Customs Office, Nugroho Wahyu Widodo, Sunday (19/3/2023).

Nugroho added, his party was still conducting monitoring first. He also did not want to speculate about the prosecution that will be carried out.

"Let's see the condition of the field first. Yesterday it started to fall as soon as the President gave the instruction, so we are ready and we will implement it," he said.

According to him, the Sulbagsel Regional Office of Customs and Excise must be wise in taking action. The reason is that his party will deal directly with residents who run the imported used clothing business.

"You just have to be very wise in carrying out enforcement in the field," said Nugroho.

Nugroho added, his party also continues to consistently carry out sea patrols to prevent smuggling of imported goods, including used clothing. Ships coming from abroad, will be inspected.

"Indeed, what we do is sea patrols for goods that are obviously being transported from abroad to Indonesia," he said.

Since early 2023, he admitted that there have been no ships that have been suspected or prosecuted in connection with smuggling goods in the South Sulawesi region. However, his party remains alert at points prone to smuggling of goods.

"We haven't found any in South Sulawesi, haven't found any ships and haven't had any information about it. But we consistently carry out sea patrols in the Sulawesi Strait, from below, from Buton to Timor Leste," he explained.

Previously, President Jokowi said he was furious about the business practices of imported used clothing. Jokowi views this business as disrupting the domestic textile industry.

"I have ordered them to look for it properly. In a day, two days, many have been found. It has disrupted the domestic textile industry. It has greatly disturbed the domestic textile industry," Jokowi said at Istora Senayan, Jakarta, Wednesday (15/3).

Jokowi then appealed to the public to stop importing used clothes. Jokowi claimed to have ordered law enforcement officials or related parties to eradicate this practice.

"So the import of used clothes, stop. Disturbing, very disrupting our domestic industry," he concluded.