Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia's decision to ban the sale of Apple's iPhone 16 series is aimed at protecting the domestic industry and labor, according to chairperson of the National Economic Council, Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan.
"We are all very open to any products. Especially, if it is produced domestically because we want to create more jobs," he said at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Tuesday.
He added that Indonesia does not only want to talk about high-technology but also labor-intensive investment.
Baca juga: Kemenperin akan nonaktifkan IMEI iPhone 16 hasil penjualan domestik
The government has banned the iPhone 16 series and Google Pixel from the Indonesian market because the two smartphone products do not meet the domestic component level (TKDN) requirement.
Trade Minister Budi Santoso has said he plans to take action against e-commerce platforms found selling the iPhone 16 series and Google Pixel in the country since the government has not granted permission for their sale.
Baca juga: Indonesia cracks down on unofficial iPhone 16, Google Pixel sales
The Ministry of Industry has indicated that the iPhone 16 cannot be sold in Indonesia until Apple fulfills the 40 percent domestic content requirement.
The ministry is also considering deactivating the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) serial numbers of iPhone 16 products that are found to be traded domestically.
So far, the smartphones from the iPhone 16 series that have entered Indonesia are limited to personal use by travelers from abroad entering the country.