Customs office defends proposed brokerage plan
Customs office defends proposed brokerage plan
JAKARTA (JP): Director General of Customs and Excise Soehardjo
defended yesterday a plan to establish customs brokerage
companies, saying that their activities will be necessary to help
importers.
"The operation of the planned customs brokerage companies is
the logical consequence of the self-assessment concept that has
been introduced in the country's customs administration," he said
in his response to charges that the companies would go against
the new customs law.
The Association of Indonesian Importers strongly opposes the
plan. It claims that the customs brokerage companies would not
only breach the customs law, but also inflate customs clearance
costs.
The association's chairman, Amirudin Saud, charged that the
brokerage companies could allow customs officials to cover up
corrupt practices when they regain full authority next year over
the on-arrival inspection of imports.
In his written statement, Soehardjo said that the government
is likely to introduce the self-assessment system in the customs
service next year to support the new customs law, which will be
fully enforced in the same year.
Under the new system, importers will fill in and process their
import documents according to the new law. The customs brokerage
companies will be established to help those who are not able to
handle customs clearance on their own.
The staff of the companies, which must be registered at
customs offices, will receive special training to ensure that
they do their jobs professionally and that their services do not
violate the law, he said.
"It would be irrational for the association to say that the
customs brokerage firms are against the new customs law," he
said.
He added that under article 29 of the new customs law, all
importers are allowed to process and handle their documents.
Because not all are familiar with document processing, they would
be allowed to assign customs brokerage companies that would be
registered at customs offices.
Soehardjo said that the operation of customs brokerage
companies is not new and that many freight companies already
offer similar services.
The Directorate General of Customs and Excise has no direct
control over freight forwarding firms and other customs service
providers because it has no licensing power over them. Freight
forwarding companies obtain operation licenses from the Ministry
of Transportation. (hen)