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)