Customs and excise chief calls it quits<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Soehardjo, former president Soeharto's brother-
\nin-law, has quit his position as director general of customs and
\nexcise to give way to the smooth process of reform at his office.<\/p>\n
Soehardjo said yesterday he had resigned as of Friday and had
\nsent his resignation to President B.J. Habibie and a copy to the
\nfinance minister.<\/p>\n
\"I resigned because I do not consider myself capable of
\naccelerating reform and modernization in the customs and excise
\n(office).<\/p>\n
\"Besides, I want to give an opportunity to the young
\ngeneration at the directorate general, because they have more
\ncapability and enthusiasm to speed up reform,\" Soehardjo told The
\nJakarta Post.<\/p>\n
In addition, Soehardjo said he had requested an early
\nretirement, which he would otherwise not be entitled to until
\n2001.<\/p>\n
\"Nevertheless, if the customs and excise wants my help, I will
\nbe happy to do so for the smoothness of customs works,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He denied the assumption that his resignation had anything to
\ndo with the departure of Soeharto from the presidency.<\/p>\n
\"There is no relation and there was no pressure. I did it
\nbased on my own conscience.\"<\/p>\n
Soehardjo was employed by the customs and excise office in
\n1960, just one year after finishing high school. He married
\nSoeharto's sister, Bris, in 1966, when Soeharto came to power.<\/p>\n
Upon his resignation, Soehardjo was replaced by the secretary
\nof the directorate general, Ibrahim Karim, until Habibie elects
\nnew director general.<\/p>\n
Soehardjo suggested that the President choose an official from
\nthe directorate general to assume his position so that all reform
\nprograms related to customs and excise could be implemented well.<\/p>\n
\"I think it would be better to select a person from the
\ncustoms and excise to be director general because this position
\nneeds special knowledge, especially about international trade,
\ncustoms and excise businesses.<\/p>\n
\"All people of the second echelon at the customs and excise
\noffice are ready and capable to be director general,\" Soehardjo
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Soehardjo took the position as director general of customs and
\nexcise in 1991, when the government assigned state-owned surveyor
\nfirm PT Surveyor Indonesia to inspect Indonesia's imports.<\/p>\n
Long-known as a corrupt institution, the customs office lost
\nits inspection rights in mid-1985 when then president Soeharto
\nentrusted Geneva-based Societe Generale de Surveillance (SGS) to
\nconduct preshipment inspections of imports.<\/p>\n
Under Soehardjo, the customs office regained its inspection
\nrights in April last year, when the government implemented the
\n1995 customs law, which introduced a post-audit system of on-
\narrival inspections.<\/p>\n
Soehardjo said he resigned with relief as he had helped
\nrestore the customs and excise office's rights and duties with
\nthe passage of the customs and excise laws.<\/p>\n
Soehardjo, however, warned that reform in the customs office
\nwould be meaningless unless business circles also reformed.<\/p>\n
\"In this time of globalization, and especially in time of
\ncrisis on the part of our country, we all must improve
\ntransparency and implement good business practices. You cannot
\npractice 'hit and run' business anymore.\" (rid)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/customs-and-excise-chief-calls-it-quits-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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