Inspection of air cargo by surveyors urged<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Importers, doubting the quality of local customs
\nservices, are proposing that the government continue allowing a
\nprivate surveyor company to inspect imported air cargo at their
\npoints of loading.<\/p>\n
\"To avoid stagnation of goods, the government, which now plans
\nto assign customs offices to inspect imported air cargoes at
\nIndonesian airports beginning early next month, should allow
\nimporters to choose another alternative,\" Chairman of Importers
\nAssociation of Indonesia Amirudin Saud told The Jakarta Post
\nyesterday.<\/p>\n
The government, under the deregulatory measures it announced
\non May 23, declared that imports of any value transported by air
\nmust be inspected by customs offices at airports beginning on
\nJuly 1.<\/p>\n
The new policy revises a Presidential decree issued in 1985,
\nwhich said that imports worth more than US$5,000 could be
\ninspected by a designated surveyor company at points of loading.
\nImporters were then given the freedom to choose such a pre-
\nshipment inspection or have their goods, if valued at $5,000 or
\nless, inspected by customs offices at points of unloading.<\/p>\n
Amirudin said that according to regulation, customs offices
\nare required to finish goods inspection within four hours.<\/p>\n
\"But so far, we need seven to 10 days to have our goods of
\nless than $5,000 inspected by customs offices,\" he said. \"If we
\ngive some bribes, such inspections can be finished within three
\ndays.\"<\/p>\n
\"This indicates that on-arrival inspection by customs offices
\nhas raised cost of imports,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, data used by customs offices to verify imported
\ngoods are frequently irrelevant or out-dated, he added.<\/p>\n
He said importers doubt whether the government's new policy on
\nthe on-arrival inspections will help expedite the flow of goods
\nat airports.<\/p>\n
As a result, his association sent letters to nine ministers on
\nMonday proposing that the government allow importers the
\nalternative of having their goods inspected by a surveyor at
\npoints of loading.<\/p>\n
The government has assigned PT Surveyor Indonesia, an
\nIndonesian-Swiss joint venture, to inspect Indonesia's imports at
\npoints of loading. But the company, due to its limited
\ncapability, has assigned the Geneva-based Societe Generale de
\nSurveillance (SGS) to carry out some of its inspection jobs at a
\nnumber of points of loading.<\/p>\n
\"In response to our letter, we have heard that the government
\nwill assign its deregulation team to consider our proposal,\"
\nAmirudin said. \"We hope the government accepts our proposal and
\nannounces its decision before July 1, the date for the
\nimplementation of the May 23 policy concerning goods inspection.\"
\n(riz)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/inspection-of-air-cargo-by-surveyors-urged-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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