Jakarta (ANTARA) - Thrifting, that is selling or buying cheap secondhand items, is allowed as long as it is carried out as per the regulation, which requires that the secondhand items be of local origin instead of imported, a minister said.
The statement was delivered by Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno during the “Weekly Brief with Sandi Uno,” which was accessed from here on Monday.
"Thrifting: When it is done in accordance with legal (limits) — as in the secondhand items from Indonesia are (the ones) being bought and not those of prohibited imported items — there will be plenty of opportunity for that (practice)," he elaborated.
The minister said that there was one domestic brand that did something innovative: it reworked old, vintage clothes, and it saw some success to the point that renowned singer Billie Eilish and some top-tier celebrities ordered some of its products. "Such activity must be facilitated, as long as it stays within legal (boundaries) and they do not use imported secondhand clothes," Uno said.
The Cooperatives and Micro, Small, Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Ministry has proposed a ban on thrifting because it is considered to be harmful to local MSMEs. Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan voiced the same sentiment, stressing that the trade of imported secondhand clothes is not allowed.
Baca juga: F1 Powerboat had multiplier effect on community
Baca juga: PeduliLindungi to transform into SatuSehat Mobile from March 1
Among the concerns that led to the decision was the finding of mold or bacteria on imported secondhand clothes, which could put people's health at risk. Moreover, the practice could also compromise the sustainability of domestic textile industries.
According to the Trade Ministry Regulation No. 18 of 2021, amended by the Trade Ministry Regulation No. 40 of 2022 about changes in the export and import prohibition lists, secondhand clothes are not allowed to be imported.
