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TARAKAN, North Kalimantan – Business operators in North Kalimantan have emphasized the importance of certainty in quality certification and business licensing processes, particularly those related to the export of fisheries commodities and locally processed products.

Chairman of the North Kalimantan Provincial Leadership Council (DPP) of the Indonesian Employers Association (APINDO), Peter Setiawan, said that, in general, certification processes such as the Processing Eligibility Certificate (SKP) and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) certification do not involve fees beyond officially stipulated charges.

“Usually, companies are not charged any fees. For SKP, HACCP, and all those processes, there should not be any additional costs,” he said.

However, Peter admitted that he did not know exactly who was being referred to in reports alleging that certain individuals had collected fees during the process.

“I heard there was an individual involved, but I don't know who that person is,” he said.

Peter stressed that licensing and certification processes are essential to supporting business activities, including export-oriented operations, and therefore should not impose additional costs beyond those stipulated by regulations.

“Business operators have already gone through the difficulty of obtaining the necessary permits. If there are fees being collected outside the regulations, that should not happen. There are rules governing this,” he said.

He also said that, to date, he had not received any direct reports regarding such charges, either from small- or large-scale business operators.

“As far as I am concerned, there have been none. I have not received any reports. There have been no such reports from large businesses either,” he said.

According to Peter, if there are allegations of costs being imposed outside official provisions during quality certification or licensing processes that form part of the export supply chain, they could negatively affect businesses, particularly MSMEs seeking to enter broader markets.

He noted that, in efforts to strengthen regional exports, small businesses are often the most vulnerable to additional financial burdens and technical requirements.

“Such issues can also disrupt direct export activities. If there is information about fees for quality certification and the like, it is highly disruptive, particularly for MSMEs,” he said.

Peter reiterated that charges imposed outside official provisions could not be justified.

“If there are charges like that, I believe they are improper,” he said.

He also encouraged any parties who feel disadvantaged during service delivery or document-processing procedures to file official reports in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.

“If you have indeed suffered a loss, report it to the police,” he stressed.

Peter added that, within the business structure, MSMEs tend to be more heavily affected than large companies when additional costs arise in licensing or certification processes required for exports.

“Large companies may still be able to absorb such costs, but MSMEs are the ones most severely affected,” he concluded.

Source: Headlinews.id