REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA - Central Board of Statistics (BPS) warns government over import from Thailand, principally the import of automotive. The import from Thailand hit a billion USD per month, the Head of BPS Suryamin said.

"Government must be able to decrease the import from Thailand," he said on Thursday.

According to the data in BPS, non-oil and gas import from Thailand sits on number three after Japan and China. In September, the import reaches 917.5 million USD. From January to September, Indonesia has imported 8.57 billion USD. The number is increasing in around 9.06 percent compared to last year.

Indonesian export to Thailand for 2012 is only 4.06 billion USD. The number is even decreasing at 4,230.6 million USD from last year.

BPS records that Indonesia imports many cars from Thailand. From January to September 2012, Indonesia has imported 346 million USD of cars and components from Thailand.

The Association of Indonesia Automotive Industries Indonesia International Motor (Gaikindo) says the import of motor vehicle is increasing this year. The biggest number of car import is in September, which is 14,179 units.

The Chairman of Gaikindo, Jongki D Sugiarto, said the automotive import from Thailand was not a problem because Thailand also exported vehicle from Indonesia. To decrease the automotive import from Thailand, government must decrease luxury sales tax (PPnBM). The high taxes makes Indonesian products are expensive when sold in Indonesia.

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