Exporters support new role of Customs office

JAKARTA (JP): Leading Indonesian exporters expressed initial support for export inspection by the customs and excise office, a role which it took over from state-owned surveyor firm PT Superintending Company of Indonesia (Sucofindo) last week.

Sofyan Wanandi, a businessmen who also chairs the National Economic Recovery Committee (KPEN), said on Monday that the customs and excise office had been quite efficient and effective in running the services during the past week.

"The customs and excise office has done a good job over the past few days. But we hope the impressive work is not temporary. That's why we have named a small team of exporters to monitor its progress," Sofyan said during a meeting between the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) and the Directorate General of Customs and Excise.

Also present in the meeting was Kadin's chairman Aburizal Bakrie.

The government transferred the export inspection role to the customs and excise office early this month after it decided not to renew Sucofindo's two-year contract. The move initially drew protests from some exporters amid fears that the customs people would be inefficient and create further bureaucratic red tape.

Sofyan said that the small team would help detect any potential bottlenecks in the implementation of the export inspection role by the customs and excise office.

Sucofindo had provided export inspection services since 1986 for exporters including exemption or restitution of import duty, value added tax, and sales tax on luxury goods.

Meanwhile, Director General of Customs and Excise Permana Agung Dradjattun, welcomed the team of exporters, saying it would be helpful for the office in improving its services.

"We promise better service in the implementation of the new system," Permana said.

He admitted that his office still faced certain problems in the initial execution of the new role.

"But after two weeks, we hope the new system will run smoothly," he said.

Some exporters had earlier complained about the slow pace of the customs and excise officers in handling the export administration work.

"We had to wait for hours to obtain the necessary documents," said Kiemas, whose company exports wheel rims to Germany.

"Their service is worse than Sucofindo's service," said Haryono, an officer at the Tokai matches manufacturer, voicing a similar concern.

Frans Rupang, director of the information and data center at the ministry said the office finalized 580 export documents by the weekend from some 2,800 export permit documents given to the office. (03)