Thrift sellers, shoppers bemoan Indonesia's planned crackdown

The Indonesian government's plan to clamp down on imported used clothes, which are in violation of an existing ban, has drawn negative responses from thrift sellers and shoppers in Jakarta, especially in light of an increase in the cost of living and sustainability issues.

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Thrift shoppers in the capital usually flock to Senen Market in Central Jakarta, known as a hub for used clothing stores.

Located near a busy train station that shares its name, the market is home to hundreds of thrift shops that sell countless volumes of secondhand clothes, sourced from mainly Japan and South Korea.

One such seller is Mr Muhammad Dede Purnomo, 20, who said the government's plan to limit imports of secondhand clothes would not only hurt the incomes of traders, but also undermine the high sales turnover that has come to define the secondhand market over the decades.

"We've built our own loyal customer base. If the government really enforces the ban and carries out crackdowns, so many people will not be able to buy affordable clothes any more," Mr Dede told The Jakarta Post on Oct 28.

Sellers like him typically earn up to two million rupiah (S$156), enough to cover the price of a big sack of worn clothes.

Mr Dede said he often buys a 150kg sack of secondhand clothes from a supplier in Bandung, West Java, for between five million and twelve million rupiah.