Firms gain customs clearance privilege

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.