Customs office plans paperless services
Customs office plans paperless services
JAKARTA (JP): The Directorate General of Customs and Excise
plans to launch paperless customs services by early 1998, using
an electronic data interchange (EDI) system, an official said.
"When the EDI system is operational, importers and exporters
will not need to submit documents to our office. What they'll
need to do is simply transmit their documents electronically to
our office," Eddy Abdurrachman, head of the customs data and
information center at the directorate general, told The Jakarta
Post over the weekend.
The system, Eddy said, was designed to reduce personal contact
between customs officials and businessmen and consequently lessen
red tape and minimize the possibility of collusion between
officials and businessmen.
Eddy explained that the EDI system would electronically
connect the customs office to all related parties involved in
customs matters.
They include importers, exporters, port and airport
authorities, shipping companies, airlines, freight forwarders,
banks and related government departments.
Eddy, however, declined to give the figures on the total cost
of the EDI system.
He added, though, that part of the investments would be
recouped through the fees paid by the users of the system.
"All players currently have their own computer networks. What
they need to do is buy EDI transmitters to connect their networks
with the EDI system," Eddy said.
He added that the customs office had cooperated with the EDI
provider, state-owned PT EDI Indonesia, which will help install
the EDI system for customs services.
Eddy said his office would soon conduct a simulation of the
system operations together with port and airport managements,
freight forwarders, shipping companies and banks.
"The system must incorporate all related parties, otherwise
the customs office as the core of the system will not be able to
provide full paperless customs services," Eddy said.
For the first stage, Eddy said, the planned EDI system will be
installed at a number of large ports in the country, including
Tanjung Perak in Surabaya, Tanjung Mas in Semarang and Belawan in
Medan, North Sumatra.
The EDI system has actually been used by Jakarta's Tanjung
Priok port management together with shipping companies using its
services.
Eddy said that a number of shipping companies had expressed an
interest in connecting their EDI system with the customs office.
He noted that the planned EDI system would also be connected
to the international EDI network, called the EDI for
Administration, Commerce and Transportation.
"The EDI system will be very important for us to facilitate a
smoother flow of goods, especially when the free trade in the
ASEAN region starts in the year 2003," Eddy said. (rid)