POLISI GEREBEK GUDANG DISTRIBUTOR PENGOPLOS BERAS | REDAKSI PAGI (09/03/23)

Summary

An investigation by Reuters uncovered a scandal involving a shoe recycling program by the American company Dawin and the Singaporean government. Donated shoes intended for recycling were smuggled into Indonesia, ending up in local shops instead. Meanwhile, a fraudulent rice distribution scheme in Indonesia saw a distributor mixing low-quality Bulog rice with premium rice and selling it at inflated prices, earning millions in profit. Both incidents highlight ongoing issues of corruption and illegal trade impacting local markets and economies.

Takeaways

• 😀 A surprising shoe recycling program scandal involving Dawin and the Singaporean government was uncovered by international media writers.
• 😀 The original goal of the program was to recycle donated shoes into materials for sports tracks and parks in Singapore, but this did not happen.
• 😀 An investigation by Reuters revealed that shoes intended for recycling were smuggled into Indonesia instead.
• 😀 11 pairs of shoes, fitted with tracking devices, were traced to Jakarta and Batam, far from their intended destination in Singapore.
• 😀 The shoes were exported by the Singaporean used goods export company Yogs but never reached the warehouse, ending up in drifting shops in Indonesia.
• 😀 Despite being asked for a response, neither Dawin nor the partners of the program were willing to comment on the findings in 2015.
• 😀 In 2015, Indonesia’s Trade Ministry tightened its ban on importing used clothing and footwear due to concerns about hygiene, disease, and the protection of the local textile industry.
• 😀 The illegal second-hand clothing market in Indonesia is worth millions of dollars per year, according to Ferry Anggriyono of the Indonesian Trade Ministry.
• 😀 A separate scandal uncovered in Subang, West Java, involved fraudulent practices where premium rice was mixed with lower-quality Bulog rice and sold at higher prices.
• 😀 The rice distributor in Subang made a profit of up to 23 million Rupiah over two months by repackaging and selling mixed rice at premium prices.

Q & A

What was the original purpose of the shoe recycling program?

The original purpose of the shoe recycling program was to recycle donated shoes and use the materials to replace rubber on sports tracks or children's parks in Singapore.

How were the shoes tracked in the investigation by Reuters?

The shoes were tracked by being fitted with hidden tracking devices and were monitored through an application on a smartphone.

What surprising discovery did the investigation uncover about the donated shoes?

The investigation uncovered that the donated shoes did not end up being recycled as promised but instead were smuggled into Indonesia, ending up in drifting shops in places like Jakarta and Batam.

Which companies were involved in the shoe recycling program?

The American petrochemical company Dawin and the Singaporean government were involved in the shoe recycling program.

What was the response from the companies involved when Reuters sought an interview?

None of the companies involved, including Dawin and partners in the program, were willing to provide an interview when contacted by Reuters.

Why did Indonesia tighten its ban on imports of used clothing and footwear in 2015?

Indonesia tightened its ban on used clothing and footwear imports in 2015 due to concerns about hygiene, the potential spread of disease, and to protect the local textile industry.

What was the value of the illegal second-hand clothing market in Indonesia, according to the Indonesian Trade Ministry?

The illegal second-hand clothing import market in Indonesia is worth millions of dollars a year.

What fraudulent activity did the Subang Police uncover in West Java?

The Subang Police uncovered a fraudulent practice where rice distributors were mixing Bulog rice, which is subsidized, with premium rice and selling it at higher market prices.

How did the perpetrators mix the rice in the fraudulent scheme?

The perpetrators mixed Bulog rice with premium rice in a warehouse, repackaged the mixed rice into premium rice sacks, and then sold it at higher prices.

How much profit did the perpetrators make from their fraudulent rice operation?

The perpetrators made a profit of up to 23 million rupiah over the course of two months through their fraudulent rice operations.