Govt strives to fight illegal levies at port<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Transportation Haryanto Dhanutirto
\nsaid yesterday that the government will fight illegal levies at
\nJakarta's Tanjung Priok port.<\/p>\n
Dhanutirto told newsmen following a meeting with President
\nSoeharto that a recent investigation by his ministry confirmed
\nbusinessmen's complaints about rampant illegal charges at the
\ncountry's largest port.<\/p>\n
\"My officials who disguised themselves as port service users
\nfound out that the handling cost of a container at the port
\namounts to Rp 26,000 per day,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Since the port handles about 10,000 containers a day, the
\nillegal payments to port officials may reach Rp 260 million
\n(US$121,000) per day.<\/p>\n
Dhanutirto added that document processing at Tanjung Priok
\nwill be computerized to minimize personal contacts between
\nofficials and port service users.<\/p>\n
The investigators, he added, discovered seven areas where
\nofficials and company employees had to make personal contacts in
\nthe processing of container freight documents.<\/p>\n
\"We will minimize these personal contact points,\" he stated.<\/p>\n
He said computer processing systems also would be introduced
\nat other major sea ports to expedite document processing.<\/p>\n
Dhanutirto said President Soeharto fully supports his plan to
\nas unnecessary costs affect the country's export competitiveness.<\/p>\n
Exporters and importers have complained in the past that the
\nillegal charges not only raise shipping costs but also slow the
\nmovement of goods.<\/p>\n
Dhanutirto added that since receipts are not written for
\npayoffs, a firms employee in charge of handling container freight
\nat the port could easily pad his \"expense account.\"<\/p>\n
\"I suspect therefore that businessmen might have paid much
\nmore than what was actually handed over by their employees to
\nport officials,\" Dhanutirto said. (icn\/vin)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/govt-strives-to-fight-illegal-levies-at-port-1447899208",
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