Importers' union defends pre-shipment inspection
Importers' union defends pre-shipment inspection
JAKARTA (JP): The pre-shipment inspection system currently applied to Indonesian imports will remain supportive of free trade in the region, the Indonesian Importers Association said.
The association's chairman, Amirudin Saud, said yesterday that the pre-shipment inspection system will not hinder the harmonization of customs procedures among members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
"This is because the pre-shipment inspection takes place in the supplying countries before the goods are shipped to Indonesia... Whatever happens to the goods overseas can have no impact on local procedures," Amirudin said.
He made the remarks, responding to Director General of Customs and Excise Soehardjo Soebardi's recent statement that the pre- shipment inspection system would hinder the harmonization of customs procedures in ASEAN.
Soehardjo suggested that the system should be replaced with an on-arrival inspection to facilitate the implementation of the ASEAN Free Trade Area arrangements by the year 2003.
The pre-shipment inspection was launched in mid-1985 under a presidential decree designed to improve the clearance of imports at customs areas.
Amirudin contended yesterday that the pre-shipment inspection helps simplify the works of customs offices because the goods inspected overseas are accompanied by reports which already indicate the nature of the goods, especially their number and value.
"This additional information is of great assistance to the local customs services because it enables sealed containers to be released without further inspection.
"These inputs make the pre-shipment inspection complementary with customs procedures and will not disturb in any way procedures to be agreed among ASEAN countries," Amirudin said.
The possibility that the pre-shipment inspection might hinder the harmonization of ASEAN customs procedures was first raised at a meeting of ASEAN customs officers in Jakarta in February last year.
It was, however, rejected by the Philippine delegation who said that there would be no such hindrance, Amirudin said.
The Philippines, like Indonesia, also enforces pre-shipment inspections for its imports. It has renewed a contract with the Geneva-based Societe Generale de Surveillance (SGS) to carry out the inspection of its imports at points of loading until 1998.
Indonesia has also extended a contract with state-owned PT Surveyor Indonesia to carry out inspections of imports until 1997. The company, in turn, continues to assign SGS as its sub- contractor for the import inspections. (rid)