Event Reports

On August 2, 2018, Eurocham Chemical Working Group held its regular meeting, with the main agenda to discuss on policy update in Chemical sectors and also further discussion on the progress of some recurrent issues relevant with the sector.

Policy discussed were about the recent Government Regulation on the Online Single Submission, the implementation so far, and how it experienced by the members. For the recurring issue, discussion revolved around the implementation of Post-Border Supervision and also sharing updates on Halal Law implementing regulation.

Some concern raised on the topic on e-commerce on online trading for chemical products as it was found out some chemical products sold by one prominent online platform was actually counterfeited products. Consider the complication to bring chemical goods to enter Indonesian market; the group share the same concern on how it is astonishingly seems to be very lenient on the supervision of local trading, particularly through online platform. The group then suggested to raise the concern toward relevant institutions as an act of attention for underlying bigger cause.

On Wednesday, 1 August 2018, EuroCham held a seminar aimed to evaluate the progress and remaining challenges of the Implementation of Cross Border Trade Supervision at Post Border for EuroCham member companies. This post border policy which was introduced in early 2017 has shifted the supervision of import goods to post border. The purpose is to further accelerate flow of goods at ports and seaports, as well as flow of goods in and out the country. This initiative has certainly impacted the overall industry. As highlighted by Mr. Michael Herrmann’s in his opening remarks as a member of EuroCham Executive Board, this topic is crucial to ensure Indonesia’s competitiveness, promote foreign investment, and improve the business climate for trade.

The event served as a platform for EuroCham member companies to engage in an open and constructive dialogue with policy makers from the government invited as speakers in the panel discussion. In this regard, the speakers were Mr. Bambang Adi (Deputy for Commerce and Industry, Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs), Mr. Harmen Sembiring (Deputy for Institutional Relations, INSW Portal Management), Mr. Djanurindro (Deputy Director for Import, Directorate General of Customs and Excise), and Mr. Edward Otto Kanter (Chairman of Priority Line Associations). The overall discussion was moderated by Mr. Rachmat Hidayat as the Head of EuroCham Import-Export Procedures Working Group.