Firms gain customs clearance privilege

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Directorate General of Customs and Excise has provided a facility for 10 well-reputed automotive and electronics companies to clear their imported goods faster and cheaper through customs at Tanjung Priok seaport.

The customs office said on Tuesday in a statement that the 10 companies were allowed access to a "priority lane" at the port through which they could 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 on the checks.

The 10 companies 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, PT Sharp Yasonta Indonesia and PT LG Electronics Indonesia.

It remains unclear why other major electronics firms, including Samsung Electronics Indonesia, were not given a similar facility.

Analysts say the customs office, which is considered to be the nation's most corrupt institution, is notorious for its cruel and vengeful treatment of companies that often criticize them in the media.

The priority lane scheme started on Tuesday as a trial basis and will gradually be applied at other ports in the country, the customs office said.

The priority lane is one of the programs recently announced by the customs office in response to calls from the public and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for the agency to improve its service.

However, experts and businessmen coldly greeted the programs, saying that no matter how good the program was, the country's customs service would not improve until its officials changed their corrupt mentality.