Customs and Excise officials spoke about the differences in data on imports of textiles and textile products (TPT) from China between the versions of the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) and the International Trade Center (ITC). Previously, the Indonesian Fiber and Filament Yarn Producers Association (APSyFI) recorded data from ITC for exports of TPT with the HS50-60 code from China to Indonesia to reach US$6.5 billion in 2022. Meanwhile, BPS noted that TPT imports from China in 2022 will only be US$3.55 billion. In this way, there is a difference in value of US$2.94 billion or the equivalent of Rp. 43 trillion which was not recorded by BPS and is suspected to be an illegal import.
Director General of Customs and Excise Askolani said that data differences were possible. China's export data cannot be directly compared with import data in Indonesia. "It needs to be studied because there are many things that could cause the difference, so it can't be apple to apple," said Askolani when met at the Cikarang Customs Storage Warehouse (TPP), Thursday (26/10/2023).
He explained a number of factors that caused differences in import data in Indonesia and exports from the country of origin. Starting from the differences in product categories in HS, calculation methodology to item prices.
"Differences in data are possible because each country has a different HS, so they can record the volume of goods A, we record goods B," said Askolani.
According to him, the data discrepancy cannot be immediately called illegal, it needs to be studied further with various parties.
"We have to dissect it so it's not as simple as that, you say, because the methodology in China and ours can be different," he said.
Even so, Askolani admitted that the risk of smuggling remained. He said that cases of differences in import data had also occurred before with nickel commodities.
According to him, at that time, Customs and Excise also involved the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), the Ministry of Trade and the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources to examine the issue of differences in nickel import data.
"It's like if we catch nickel, we don't deny it, the catch is there, and it's misused," he said.
Askolani also emphasized that his party would continue to monitor imports and take action against illegal ones. "What is certain is that we will continue to carry out supervision, there is no choice," he said
