Prabowo Orders Enhanced Border and Coastal Surveillance Against Smuggling

President Prabowo Subianto has ordered the Director General of Customs of the Ministry of Finance, Djaka Budhi Utama, to tighten customs and tax supervision in Indonesia's border and coastal areas. The order was conveyed when Djaka met with President Prabowo at the Presidential Palace, Jakarta, Tuesday, September 22. "(I, ed.) was called, asked to tighten the borders and coastal areas. That's it, from smuggling illegal goods and prohibited goods," Djaka told reporters after meeting President Prabowo at the Presidential Palace, Jakarta, quoted by Antara, Wednesday, September 23. Djaka said that the supervision targeted illegal export and import practices and smuggling of prohibited goods, such as imported narcotics and used clothing or balpres. To strengthen supervision, the Customs will add operational equipment and strengthen task forces (satgas) in the Directorate General of Customs and Excise. When asked about the area prone to smuggling, Djaka said the waters of the Malacca Strait were one of the areas of concern. The area borders a number of countries, including Singapore and Malaysia. "Yes, along the Malacca Strait sea, we have an operational facilities base, there are several of them, there are about almost a hundred more ships, later we will empower them all. But it all depends on the available budget. We were given additional budget yesterday at the meeting of the Budget Agency (DPR, ed.)," said Djaka. President Prabowo's meeting with Djaka took place separately from the meeting with Finance Minister Suahasil Nazara at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, Tuesday afternoon. During the meeting, President Prabowo received reports on the current economic conditions, the management of the State Budget and Expenditure (APBN), and the repayment of the Bank Indonesia Liquidity Assistance (BLBI) bonds issued by the government to handle the 1997-1998 financial crisis.