Jakarta, Oct. 24 -- The Jakarta Provincial Government has voiced support for The Finance Ministry's plan to impose fines on importers of illegal secondhand clothes, widely sold under the practice known as thrifting, and has also banned the activity.

"Regarding prohibition of 'thrifting' from Finance Ministry, we support it, including in markets across Jakarta," Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung Wibowo said here on Friday.

The governor urged merchants to stop their reliance on thrifted imports and instead develop their own businesses. Thus, he has instructed relevant offices to provide training for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) so they can independently create their products.

Wibowo stressed that the secondhand clothing trad...