Covid-19 (Corona Virus Disease) Article - Joint Decree of the National Agency for Disaster Management, Director General of Customs and Excise Number 01/BNPB/2020, Kep-113/BC/2020 of 2020 Regarding the Acceleration of Imported Goods Services for Prevention

The scarcity of some medical devices such as masks, personal protective equipment for doctors, and hand sanitizers is enough to make people uneasy, considering that when the COVID 19 pandemic struck, these items were badly needed by many people. The unavailability of these items on the market encourages the government to immediately import them from other countries.

In order to facilitate the importation of imported goods and the application for exemption of import duty, excise and/or tax in the framework of import (PDRI) for imported goods for the prevention and control of Covid-19, the Director General of Customs together with BNPB issued a Joint Decree of the National Agency for Mitigation Disaster, Director General of Customs and Excise Number 01/BNPB/2020, Kep-113/BC/2020 of 2020 Regarding the Acceleration of Goods Import Services for the Need for Corruption Virus Disease 2019 (Covid-19). Importers who wish to request acceleration are required to submit applications for exemption from import duty, excise and/or PDRI through BNPB. BNPB coordinates with relevant ministries/agencies to issue recommendations as permits to exclude import trade system provisions in the case that goods are subject to import trade system provisions.

BNPB together with relevant ministries/institutions conducts research on the applicant's subject. Furthermore, the Head of the Customs and Excise Main Service Office / Customs and Excise Regional Office of the place of the entry (if the application is submitted by a government agency/Public Service Agency) or the Director of Customs Facilities (if submitted by a non-profit (religious social) foundation/institution) will process the application for exemption entered, excise, and/or PDRI submitted after issuing a Decree of the Minister of Finance (SKMK) concerning Exemption of Import Duty, Excise, and/or PDRI.

With this regulation, we all hope that imports of goods for Covid-19 Countermeasures can be immediately carried out to help our brothers in need.

Suria Nataadmadja & Associates Law Firm

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