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)