Jakarta, IO – The government has officially rescinded the Trade Ministerial Regulation 3/2024 that limits the quantity of items that passengers can bring back with them in their personal luggage.
The decision was taken following a meeting between relevant ministries and agencies, per Kontan, Thu (18/4).
The Agency for the Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers (BP2MI) head Benny Rhamdani explained that turning migrant workers are allowed to bring with them goods whose value do not exceed US$1,500 per year, otherwise they will have to pay import duties.
This means migrant workers’ luggage will no longer be returned to the country of origin or destroyed, as there are no longer any restrictions on the type of luggage.
“Migrant workers should not be limited in bringing in how many and what types of goods, the only important thing is their value. That is no longer regulated in the Minister of Trade Regulation,” he explained.
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“It is not fair that those who spent years working to save money and buy goods for their family as souvenirs to see their luggage being destroyed.”
Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan previously instituted stricter import regulations that took effect on March 10. This rule sparked furore as it sought to restrict the quantity of items that a person can buy overseas. One provision read a passenger was barred from bringing in two pairs of footwear. (un)