Three government agencies, namely the Ministry of Industry, the Ministry of Information Communication and the Ministry of Trade will issue a joint regulation on 17 August. This regulation concerns the control of the Original Cell Phone Number or IMEI.
It is planned that the government will block mobile phones entering Indonesia through non-official channels, aka black markets (BM), through the implementation of IMEI, the government will rely on a technology developed by Qualcomm.
The regulation, according to the government, is an attempt to liberate illegal cellphones that are considered harmful to the state, industry and consumers. According to data from the All Indonesian Cellular Association (APSI), which was reported from Liputan6.com the potential tax loss arising from the circulation of BM cell phones is around Rp 2.8 trillion per year. In addition, blocking the precious BM cellular phones in Indonesia is also aimed at protecting the domestic mobile industry, and minimizing data theft.
The following are the characteristics of mobile phones that will be blocked by the government:
1. No Official Warranty: because BM cell phones are always not accompanied by official guarantees from domestic brands I manufacturers, this means that if the cell phone is damaged the cellphone cannot be repaired or replaced with a warranty at an authorized service center or distributor. If you intend to buy a new cell phone, make sure that the cellphone purchased has an official guarantee from the manufacturer.
2. Cheaper Prices: BM cellphones are known to be cheaper than phones that are marketed in general, because black market cellphones do not go through a tax process first, and if you want to know a BM cell phone or not, you can check the series or model of cellphones on the official website of the distributor I domestic manufacturers, if the series or model is not on the official site it can be ascertained that the cellphone is illegal.
3. Usually Sold in Online Stores: BM cellphones are sold online with various series and brands at affordable prices, such as reconditioned or counterfeit phones offered as genuine cellphones, replica phones, or even failed products. This practice can certainly be detrimental to consumers, but it does not rule out the possibility that BM cell phones are also officially sold at village plosh counters.
4. Don’t Have IMEI: International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) is an identity code that every mobile device has. IMEI can be found on the back of the cellphone, battery. Or box that packs the cellphone itself. Each cellphone has a different IMEI. The Ministry of Communication and Information and the
Ministry of Industry collect IMEI data obtained from the registration process of cellular phones. Handheld computers and tablet computers as stipulated in the Regulation of the Minister of Industry of the Republic of Indonesia if BM cellphones do not have an official IMEI the government will freeze them. To find out your cellphone is officially registered by the government. You can go through the website imei.kemenperin.go.id then enter the mobile IMEI code in the IMEI check column, if the IMEI is registered it will appear “lMEl registered in the Ministry of Industry database.
lMEl can be identified from the cellphone case, the back of the cellphone. The battery or by opening the cellphone description. You can also press * # 06 # on the dial up menu and the IMEI code will appear on the phone screen. IMEI can also be seen in the settings menu> About Device> Status> IMEI information. Black market phones purchased before August 17, 2019 will not be blocked immediately.
However, the provisions on the useful life will be determined later in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations. Consumers can also still buy mobile phones from abroad as long as their imports follow the provisions of the applicable laws and regulations.
