New customs system 'creates uncertainty'<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Importers are concerned by uncertainties in some
\nareas of the new customs clearance system, analysts said here
\nyesterday.<\/p>\n
I Nyoman Moena, a former president of PT Surveyor Indonesia
\nand currently a trade analyst, and Munti Yarso of PT SGS Services
\nIndonesia identified four elements of the new system which were
\ncausing problems in the customs clearance of imports.<\/p>\n
They are related to the transaction value of imported goods,
\ntariff classification, customs' decision to direct imported goods
\nto green or red lanes and the post entry-auditing of imports.<\/p>\n
\"Uncertainties could jeopardize the conducive to business
\nclimate that we are building up,\" Moena told a business luncheon
\nat the World Trade Center.<\/p>\n
The government implemented a combination of on-arrival
\ninspection and post-entry audit systems with self assessment of
\nimport duties in April as part of its enforcement of the new
\ncustoms law.<\/p>\n
The system replaced the pre-shipment inspection of imports
\nsystem which was started in mid-1985 to bypass the then
\ncorruption-infested customs service.<\/p>\n
Munti said the post-entry audit part of the new customs
\nclearance procedures created the most uncertainties for
\nimporters.<\/p>\n
Worse still, importers were still completely in the dark about
\nthe criteria for post auditing, he said.<\/p>\n
\"As the criteria for post auditing are not yet clear, you
\nimporters must be ready at all times to receive the customs
\nauditors who will come knocking at your doors in the near
\nfuture,\" Munti said at the meeting.<\/p>\n
Moena said that the post auditing of imports created a high
\ndegree of uncertainty because importers never knew when it would
\nbe conducted or whether they had to pay additional import duties.<\/p>\n
Director of Verification Roy Ronald Lino has said that the
\ncustoms office would use risk management to determining post
\nauditing of imports and it would notify importers beforehand
\nabout any audit to be conducted.<\/p>\n
Munti said transaction value and tariff classification also
\nworried importers.<\/p>\n
Transaction value and tariff classification determine the duty
\nimporters have to pay.<\/p>\n
The new customs clearance system follows the international
\nharmonized system on tariff classifications and General Agreement
\non Tariffs and Trade (GATT) valuation code in determining the
\ntransaction value of imported goods.<\/p>\n
\"Most importers still do not know what kind of animal the GATT
\nvaluation code is,\" Munti said.<\/p>\n
He said customs officials and importers often differed on
\ntariff classification -- they were not sure whether a tariff
\nshould be five percent or 10 percent or even 40 percent.<\/p>\n
Moena added: \"tariff classification can always be corrected
\nand corrections depend on who is in charge. So, here again it is
\nfull of uncertainties for importers.\"<\/p>\n
He said importers also never knew when their goods would be
\ntaken to the red lane for physical inspection or the green lane
\nfor direct clearance.<\/p>\n
\"Again there are no clear-cut criteria here and this is
\nanother source of uncertainty,\" Moena said.<\/p>\n
The customs office has said it will send imported goods to the
\nred lane only if it receives an intelligence note which
\nnecessitates physical inspection.<\/p>\n
And director general of customs and excise, Soehardjo
\nSoebardi, has repeatedly said that importers had no need to worry
\nin their dealings with customs officials, provided they declare
\ntheir goods correctly.<\/p>\n
Moena said the customs office should clear up the
\nuncertainties by explaining the procedures and criteria to
\nimporters and the general public.<\/p>\n
\"Whatever the system, it should be fully transparent and
\nshould not create uncertainties in the business sector,\" Moena
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Moena suggested the customs office give importers the freedom
\nto choose either pre-shipment inspection or on-arrival inspection
\nfor their consignments.<\/p>\n
He said the customs office could also contract inspection work
\nto PT Surveyor Indonesia which has extensive branches overseas.<\/p>\n
Rudy J. Pesik, president of trading firm Pinter Pesik
\nInternational and freight forwarding firm PT Birotika Semesta,
\nsaid the customs office should also improve its electronic data
\ninterchange system.<\/p>\n
He said the system was too simple and could not yet
\ndisseminate simultaneously information on imports to all
\nconnected parties, including banks, the port and airport
\nauthorities.<\/p>\n
\"The customs electronic data interchange system is more like
\nan electronic transfer system than a data interchange system,\" he
\nsaid. (rid)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/new-customs-system-creates-uncertainty-1447893297",
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