Exporters support new role of Customs office

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)