Jakarta – The government continues to strengthen concrete steps in combating smuggling practices that harm the country from various aspects, both from the economic, national security, and social stability aspects.
In this effort, the active role of the Indonesian National Army (TNI) and the Indonesian National Police (Polri) is real evidence of the government’s commitment to maintaining state sovereignty and enforcing the law.
“Smuggling is not only about the economy, but also concerns national sovereignty and security. Therefore, cross-sector synergy is needed,” said the Director General of Customs and Excise of the Ministry of Finance, Djaka Budi Utama.
According to him, the involvement of the TNI and Polri emphasizes that smuggling cannot be viewed as a mere administrative issue. The government is aware that the challenge of smuggling, especially in border areas, ports, and other vulnerable areas, requires strict supervision and a quick response.
To answer this challenge, the TNI has increased the intensity of patrols and operations through land, sea, and air, especially in border areas and strategic shipping lanes. Meanwhile, the National Police are strengthening law enforcement through investigations, raids, and confiscation of illegal goods.
“We see that there are still many illegal ports that need to be monitored. Coordination with the TNI and the police is very important to ensure that there is no smuggling or at least reduce it, so that state revenues are on target,” said Djaka.
He emphasized that this cross-agency synergy is part of President Prabowo Subianto’s instructions.
“The President asked us to ensure that the Directorate General of Customs and Excise plays an active role in strengthening state revenues, especially in the customs sector,” he added.
Previously, Minister of Finance Sri Mulyani Indrawati officially inaugurated Lieutenant General TNI (Ret.) Djaka Budi Utama as Director General of Customs and Excise replacing Askolani. She hopes that Djaka’s presence can strengthen coordination between agencies.
“We hope that Mr. Djaka’s presence will be an added value to support and improve the ability of the Ministry of Finance in carrying out much better and more effective coordination,” said Sri Mulyani.
The government believes that eradicating smuggling cannot be done by one institution alone. Collaboration between the TNI, Polri, related ministries/institutions, and active community participation are the main keys to maintaining economic stability and state sovereignty.These are bureaucratic reforms that continue to be rolled out, including the digitalization of import-export licensing processes and goods reporting, which aim to close loopholes for fraudulent practices.
The success of eradicating smuggling is the result of a commitment that is carried out earnestly, accompanied by collaboration, technological innovation, fair law enforcement, and active community participation. The government has taken the right path and shown that they are not remaining silent in the face of illegal practices that erode economic sovereignty. In the future, with the strengthening of more integrated policies and supervision, Indonesia is expected to be able to create a clean, fair, and highly competitive trade ecosystem. This is a long-term mission that we should support together for the sake of a more dignified and just future for the nation.
)* The author is a Legal Observer
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