Jakarta, Oct. 22 -- Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa said financial penalties will be imposed in addition to prison sentences for illegal importers of secondhand clothes and bags, as part of efforts to curb smuggling and protect local industries.

Speaking at a press conference at the Finance Ministry on Wednesday, Sadewa said the government has long suffered financial losses from merely destroying confiscated goods and jailing offenders without recovering any compensation.

"So far, all we've done is destroy the goods and imprison the importers. The Finance Ministry gets nothing, even though we spend money to destroy the products and feed those in prison," he said.

Sadewa said he had received a list of secondhand clothing importers...