Customs policy gets cautious welcome
Customs policy gets cautious welcome
Rendi A. Witular, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Business executives have applauded the move by the Directorate
General of Customs and Excise to reward 10 companies with faster
and cheaper import clearance procedures, but doubted the facility
could be fully implemented because of corrupt customs personnel.
"No matter how good the program is, the country's customs
service will not improve until its officials change their corrupt
mentality. Extortion during the clearance process will still be
suffered by the 10 companies," deputy chairman of the Indonesian
Economic Recovery Committee (KPEN) Anton Supit told The Jakarta
Post on Thursday.
The customs service said in a statement on Tuesday that the 10
companies would be granted fast-track service at the country's
main port of Tanjung Priok. Under the scheme, they would be able
to clear their goods without undergoing document examination and
physical checks by customs officials.
Customs officials will still carry out audits and spot checks
on goods but the process will not hamper the flow of goods out of
the port, the statement said, although it did not specify what
form the checks would take.
The fast-track scheme started on Oct. 1 on a trial basis and
will gradually be applied at other ports in the country.
Country general manager for PT LG Electronics Indonesia Sung
Khyun shared Anton's opinion, saying that the facility would be a
waste of time if the customs service did not assign clean
personnel to oversee the implementation of the program.
"I thank and welcome the fast-track clearance facility
provided by the customs service, but I'm sorry to say that I
still have doubts about its implementation," said Khyun.
LG Electronics is among the 10 companies granted the facility.
The other nine are PT Toyota Astra Motor, PT Astra Daihatsu
Motor, PT General Motor Indonesia, PT Indomobil Suzuki
Internasional, PT Astra Nissan Diesel Indonesia, PT Denso
Indonesian Corporation, PT National Gobel, PT Sanyo Industries
Indonesia and PT Sharp Yasonta Indonesia.
Khyun hoped that all the companies awarded the facility could
clear their products in one day, and be rid of the need to pay
bribes to corrupt officials.
Usually, an import clearance process can take more than three
days or even a week.
Khyun added that the customs service should not only reward
compliant companies but should also punish companies involved in
smuggling and import undervaluation activities.
"Law enforcement should be upheld and enhanced. What good is
this exceptional facility if smuggling is still rampant," said
Khyun.
Meanwhile, Anton criticized the customs service for not
disclosing the criteria for the selection the companies rewarded
with the facility.
He urged the customs service to publish the criteria to ensure
transparency and avoid abuses by customs officials.