'Customs office has failed to achieves reform'<\/p>\n
Rendi A. Witular, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Despite strong public criticism over the last five months, the
\nDirectorate of Customs and Excise has still failed to show that
\nit is changing and reforming itself, industry players say.<\/p>\n
Corruption is still rampant at the directorate making it
\ndifficult for many businessmen to get clearance for their goods
\nwithout paying bribes, they asserted.<\/p>\n
The directorate claims to have boosted campaigns against
\nsmuggling, but industry players doubted its long-term commitment
\nand consistency.<\/p>\n
Sofyan Wanandi, chairman of the National Economic Recovery
\nCommittee (KPEN), told The Jakarta Post that he still heard of
\nmany complaints that smuggling was still rampant and customs
\nofficials were still asking for illegal fees.<\/p>\n
Following public criticism, the customs office intensified its
\nantismuggling efforts over the past several months, but Sofyan
\nsaid the customs office only confiscated petty goods, while
\noverlooking commodities that affected the lives of the majority
\nof the people.<\/p>\n
"In cracking down on smuggling, they should concentrate on the
\nsmuggling of strategic commodities that have a direct impact on
\nthe Indonesian economy such as rice and sugar, rather than sex
\ntoys and pornographic VCDs," he said.<\/p>\n
He also doubted the customs office's commitment against
\nsmuggling.<\/p>\n
"I am afraid that the antismuggling campaign is only a
\ntemporary shock therapy with consistency remaining in question."
\nsaid Sofyan.<\/p>\n
Sofyan also said corruption was so rampant in the customs
\noffice that not only businessmen had to pay illegal fees to clear
\ntheir goods but that smugglers could simply walk free after
\npaying a bribe.<\/p>\n
"That's why I haven't heard one report about a smuggler being
\ntried or going to jail," he said.<\/p>\n
As for the confiscated smuggled goods, Sofyan said, the
\ncustoms office usually puts them on auction where the smugglers
\nusually win the bid.<\/p>\n
"The goods should be burned rather than put on auction," he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Sharing Sofyan's concerns, Lili Asdjudiredja, one of the
\nchairmen of the Indonesian Textile Association (API), said that
\nthere was no improvement in the performance of the customs office
\nover the last five months as smuggling was still rampant.<\/p>\n
He also blamed the rampant smuggling on Law No. 10\/1995, which
\nhe said contained loopholes allowing smugglers to avoid
\nprosecution.<\/p>\n
Under the law, a person who brings goods with fake documents
\ninto the country can only be fined, while people who bring goods
\ninto the country without documents are prosecuted.<\/p>\n
That's why many smugglers carry documents, even if only fake
\nones, to avoid prosecution in case of arrest.<\/p>\n
"This law must be revised," he said.<\/p>\n
Lee Kang Hyu, executive director of the Electronic Union of
\nIndonesia (GABEL), while still being critical of the customs
\noffice' performance, said that the office had made some progress
\nin its antismuggling campaign over the past five months.<\/p>\n
Lee said he had been informed that smuggled electronic goods,
\nwhich are cheaper than locally made goods, are currently rather
\nhard to find in the market, possibly because of stricter
\nsupervision by the customs office.<\/p>\n
He said, however, the stringency was only temporary.<\/p>\n
"There are still illegal imported electronic goods in the
\nmarket, but it is not as prevalent as before.<\/p>\n
"However, I regret that the customs office has not brought the
\nsmugglers to court. This is still a bad precedent for law
\nenforcement in the country, and one of the factors that
\ndiscourages investors from investing in Indonesia," said Lee.<\/p>\n
Customs and excise director general Permana Agung and other
\nofficials were unavailable for comment.<\/p>\n
A nationwide study of corruption conducted last year under the
\nsponsorship of the World Bank and the United Nations Development
\nProgram confirmed that the customs and tax office was the most
\ncorrupt public institution in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
The reform program agreement with the International Monetary
\nFund (IMF), signed on Dec. 13, 2001 stipulated elaborate
\nmeasures, including implementation schedules, to improve the
\ncustoms administration, and to remove corrupt officials from the
\noffice.<\/p>\n
Currently the restructuring of the customs office is still in
\nprocess.<\/p>",
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