Corruption at customs<\/p>\n
Let me assure you from personal experience that corruption is
\nback in the customs process in a big way and that virtually
\nnothing is computerized. I recently tried to clear a small
\npackage through customs at the Soekarno-Hatta International
\nAirport, and it took all day. I simply lost track of how many
\npeople I had to pay off and how much money I spent.<\/p>\n
While the duty was only 25 percent of the declared value of
\nthe goods, the total cost to clear the items was about 150
\npercent of the value of the goods.<\/p>\n
For instance, it took Rp 90,000 in a small unmarked envelope
\nin the file passed into Loket 8 in order to have the file looked
\nat that day, \"because the package was more than 20 kilograms\". It
\ntook another Rp 100,000 later that day at the same customs window
\nto achieve another step in the process.<\/p>\n
It was Rp 30,000 here, Rp 30,000 there, another Rp 30,000 at
\nthe next window, Rp 10,000 to get someone in the warehouse to
\nfind the package and bring it out, Rp 30,000 to have a customs
\nman glance at the contents and initial the paper and another Rp
\n30,000 to another customs man to let the package through the
\nfront door of the godown. And if you don't have a fixer to lead
\nyou through the process, you will never be able to figure it out
\nand do it yourself, so the Rp 200,000 you pay him is worth every
\nrupiah.<\/p>\n
In all, I think I paid Rp 2 million for a 25 kg package of
\ngoods worth US$700, 25 percent duty, 20 percent something else,
\n10 percent added on here, 6.5 percent added on there and then the
\ngrease money on and on and on. It's business as usual at customs
\nso you better have a deep pocket full of rupiah if you want to
\nclear even a small package through airport customs. And I think I
\nsaw only one computer being used all day. My goods were
\ninsignificantly small, running up the cost of the economy, and in
\nmy case, on products designed to conserve the environmental
\nresources of Indonesia. It's disgusting.<\/p>\n
Name and address<\/p>\n
known to the editor<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/corruption-at-customs-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }