'Importers prefer pre-shipment inspection system'

'Importers prefer pre-shipment inspection system'

JAKARTA (JP): Most importers prefer pre-shipment to post-
shipment import inspections, according to a survey by the
Indonesian Importers Association.

The survey, conducted from Oct. 1 to Nov. 11, also found that
those preferring pre-shipment inspections were prepared to pay
inspection fees, currently borne by the government, to a
designated surveyor if the government maintained the current
system.

Association chairman Amirudin Saud said yesterday he had sent
the survey's results to 10 senior officials, including
Coordinating Minister for Economy and Finance Saleh Afiff and
Coordinating Minister for Production and Distribution Hartarto.

"We urge the government to maintain the current system of pre-
shipment inspections of imports," Amirudin said at his office.

The government has indicated that it would replace the current
pre-shipment system with a post-shipment inspection system on
April 1, next year.

Amirudin said his office had sent 1,000 questionnaires to
1,000 importers, including manufacturers. The association
received 873 completed questionnaires.

The questionnaire asked two questions: whether the respondents
agreed with pre-shipment inspections and were prepared to pay
inspection fees to an appointed surveyor; and whether they agreed
with the post-audit import system stipulated by Customs Law. The
questionnaire made references to several of the law's articles
which will govern the post-audit import system.

The survey showed that 798, or 91.4 percent of respondents,
answered "yes" to the first question.

Most respondents also answered "yes" to the second question.
Only 61 importers, or 6.99 percent of respondents, answered "no"
to the second question. Fourteen respondents did not give answers
to either of the questions.

Amirudin said the survey indicated most importers were still
traumatized by the corrupt customs service before the
introduction of pre-shipment inspections in 1985.

"They are still doubtful about the readiness of customs
officials to resume the post-shipment inspections," he said.

Pre-shipment import inspections are now undertaken by the
state-owned PT Surveyor Indonesia in cooperation with the Geneva-
based Generale de Surveillance at loading points.

The government will terminate its pre-shipment inspection
contract with Surveyor Indonesia on April 1, which coincides with
the enforcement of the new customs law.

The customs law will introduce a post-audit import system and
return the inspection authority to the Directorate General of
Customs and Excise.

Director General of Customs and Excise Soehardjo Soebardi told
a hearing with House Commission VII for trade and finance on
Tuesday that his office was ready to resume inspections.

But Amirudin questioned Soehardjo's statement, charging that
many customs officials, especially those at Jakarta's Tanjung
Priok port, remained corrupt.

"I doubt their claim that they were ready to resume the
inspection service and their pledge to stop corruption among
their ranks," Amirudin said.

He said he had recorded 92 cases of smuggling which involved
customs officials in the first 11 months of this year.

Most of the smuggled goods were consumer goods, mainly
electronics, imported from or through Singapore. They entered the
country in packages which were claimed to be worth less than
US$5,000, which are exempted them from pre-shipment inspections.

Amirudin said each of the 92 cases was worth more than $5,000.
Many of them were worth a hundred thousand dollars each and some
were worth more than $1 million each.

"How can you convince me that customs officials are now clean
when I can still easily discover such collusion and malfeasance,"
Amirudin retorted. (rid)