Jakarta. The Transportation Ministry has responded to the surge of imported trucks from China that are being aggressively sold in the domestic market, particularly in mining areas. It is even suspected that some entered without undergoing the mandatory type approval testing required for locally produced trucks. The government admitted that the matter is still under inter-ministerial discussion.

In Indonesia, every locally produced truck must have a Type Test Registration Certificate (SRUT) as a prerequisite for issuing the Vehicle Ownership Book (BPKB), Vehicle Registration Certificate (STNK), and a license plate number. This certificate is only granted after the vehicle passes a comprehensive design and physical inspection to ensure that safety and technical standards are met.

The Director General of Land Transportation at the Transportation Ministry, Aan Suhanan, said the presence of Chinese freight trucks used in mining has become a serious concern for the government. The Transportation Ministry, together with relevant ministries and agencies, is seeking solutions to this issue.

“We are inviting several ministries or agencies related to the matter. We have also received a lot of input regarding freight vehicles operating in mining areas,” Aan said in West Jakarta on Friday.

Aan explained that these imported trucks entered Indonesia as capital goods under a foreign investment scheme. However, he stressed that safety testing is still necessary.

“The manifest for these vehicles does not list them as vehicles, but as capital goods. However, this is our concern, and we need to conduct testing because it is important for safety,” he emphasized.