Industry in Indonesia rejects ‘strange’ idea of turning illegal goods into fuel

A fishing boat sails near the New Priok Container Terminal One (NPCT1) in Cilincing, Jakarta, on Aug. 20, 2024.Indonesia enjoyed a US$470-million trade surplus in July. - Photo: Antara

JAKARTA: The government has proposed turning illegally imported goods into industrial fuel for factories due to budget constraints that prevent it from destroying the contraband, but the idea has drawn a sharp rebuke from critics and industrialists, who say such a move could be burdensome rather than beneficial.

Trade Ministry Domestic Trade Director General Moga Simatupang came up with the idea of using the confiscated products, including textiles and machinery, as a source of energy for factories to save the government the cost of having to move and destroy them.