Indonesian Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa inspected 3,100 containers that were piling up at Tanjung Priok Port in North Jakarta on Saturday, June 6, 2026. He discovered several reasons why the imported goods were detained at Tanjung Priok.
The inspection was conducted after the Finance Minister received complaints from several businesspeople. “Several businesspeople have complained about disruptions in the supply of raw materials, which have already increased dwelling time,” he said at Tanjung Priok, North Jakarta, on Saturday, June 6, 2026.
Purbaya inspected the goods accompanied by Director General of Customs Djaka Budhi Utama. Following the inspection, he found that one of the main causes of the accumulation was the increase in incoming goods or imports. As a result, the flow of goods leaving the port had slowed.
The former Chairperson of the LPS Board of Commissioners has also proposed a solution by deploying additional personnel to assist with cargo administration. Personnel were also instructed to work around the clock in two shifts. With the additional manpower, the number of detained containers is expected to decline to around 500.
In addition, he identified another issue: goods that had already cleared administrative procedures were not picked up by importers. As a result, they remained at the port for months.
“Perhaps because the fines are cheap, they just leave their goods here. As a result, the port is full,” Purbaya said.
He suspects that some importers deliberately leave their goods at the port because the fines are relatively low compared with the cost of renting warehouse space elsewhere.
To address this issue, Purbaya instructed Djaka Budhi Utama to formulate specific regulations. The regulations would impose additional penalties on importers who leave their goods at the port for extended periods.
According to him, the increase in imports is a positive signal for the economy. However, he said he would not allow the goods to continue piling up at the port.
“What’s important is that as the domestic economy improves and imports increase, we do not want bottlenecks to occur here. We want to ensure that logistics costs remain under control.”
Purbaya has not yet confirmed which goods are piling up. Based on preliminary observations, some of the goods found in the inspected containers included leather materials, blender components, rubber mattresses, and marble. (DAP/NDC)
Source: Tempo English