Customs office asks for budget autonomy<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The Directorate General of Customs and Excise,
\nconfident of fully regaining its import inspection powers, has
\nasked for a budget autonomy.<\/p>\n
Customs Director Permana Agung said the customs service should
\nperform professionally and with integrity if it wanted to be
\nefficient and effective.<\/p>\n
"But we need a broader autonomy in our budget management in
\nintroducing changes to make our institution highly accountable,"
\nPermana said.<\/p>\n
"We are now trying hard to regain our full autonomy ... This
\nway, we will be independent and fully responsible for our
\nservices," Permana said.<\/p>\n
He said the customs service should be autonomous to deal
\nfirmly with corrupt customs official.<\/p>\n
Permana said the autonomy should cover matters pertaining to
\ncustoms services, including the inspection of imports and
\nexports.<\/p>\n
The government stripped the customs office of its inspection
\nauthority for imports in mid-1985 because of corruption. The
\ngovernment entrusted the Geneva-based Societe Generale de
\nSurveillance and later in 1991 the state-owned PT Surveyor
\nIndonesia to inspect imports at loading points.<\/p>\n
The government also stripped the customs office of its export
\ninspection powers. It assigned another state-owned surveyor, PT
\nSucofindo, to inspect Indonesia's exports for the next two years.<\/p>\n
But the customs service expects to regain fully the inspection
\nauthority for imports by April 1, when the 1995 Customs Law comes
\ninto force.<\/p>\n
Importers and exporters, still traumatized by corrupt customs
\nservices before 1985, have persistently demanded the government
\nallow them to conduct pre-shipment inspections of imports instead
\nof on-arrival inspections because they feared customs inspections
\nwould delay the release of imports thus increasing costs.<\/p>\n
Businesspeople think the general environment which made the
\ncustoms service corrupt has not changed much.<\/p>\n
But the customs chief has tried to assure businesspeople that
\nselective on-arrival import inspections and post-entry audits of
\nimport documents would be cheaper for the government and
\nbusinesses.<\/p>\n
Most businesses are not convinced, especially in view of the
\namount of corruption in almost all government agencies.<\/p>\n
Permana said some parties, including importers, intentionally
\nmislead people by making negative remarks about the customs
\noffice.<\/p>\n
"They must understand the challenges the customs office is
\nfacing ... and what has been done by the customs office since
\n1985," Permana said.<\/p>\n
He said the customs office had a vision of providing customs
\nservices which saved time and money. "Therefore, our success
\nwould rely on our ability to meet all prevailing changes,
\naccommodate them and even stay ahead of those changes."<\/p>\n
He said the customs office had realized the shift in the
\ncustoms business, namely from collecting state revenues from
\nimport duties and other taxes to ensuring the smooth flow of
\ngoods to maintain the country's competitiveness.<\/p>\n
"The Directorate General of Customs and Excise, by nature, is
\nan unpopular institution... we delay people, we delay their goods
\nand we take their money... but we are trying to improve our
\nimage," Permana said.<\/p>\n
He said on-arrival import inspections, which would probably
\nstart in April, would not inhibit the flow of imports because
\nmost inspections would be done on documents after goods had
\nentered.<\/p>\n
Physical inspections would be conducted randomly or when
\nintelligence necessitated the inspection of a container.<\/p>\n
Otherwise, the customs office would only check documents
\nsubmitted by importers, he said<\/p>\n
Moreover, if importers were connected with the customs
\noffice's electronic data interchange, they could submit documents
\nelectronically without having to meet customs officers, Permana
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Customs officials had 30 days from submitting documents to
\nverify the imported goods' prices. Whenever they find under-
\ninvoicing within the set time it could penalize importers.<\/p>\n
But if they find the discrepancy after 30 days, they cannot
\nimpose a penalty. They could only audit imports, and if they
\ndiscover discrepancies they could demand the duty shortfall,
\nPermana said. (rid)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/customs-office-asks-for-budget-autonomy-1447893297",
"image": ""
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