Importers upset at port's red tape
Importers upset at port's red tape
JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Importers Association is upset
with what it describes as rampant red tape caused by customs
officials at the Tanjung Priok port.
The association's chairman, Amirudin Saud, said yesterday that
customs officials regularly issue "intelligence notes", which
allow them to stall the clearance of imported goods and exact
bribes from importers.
"Since last year, I have seen more than 300 intelligence notes
issued by the division two head of the smuggling prevention
office at Tanjung Priok," Amirudin said.
He added that the notes should not come from the division two
head of the smuggling prevention office but from its director,
or from the inspection head of the provincial customs office.
The notes, Amirudin said, must be based on information given
by the police, the national intelligence agency or the
prosecutor's office. "Not based on their own judgment," he said.
Under Presidential Instruction No. 3/1991, a revision of a
presidential decree issued in 1985 which stripped the Directorate
General of Customs and Excise of its inspection authority,
customs officials basically may not hold up all imported goods
equipped with inspection documents issued by a surveyor
company.
PT Surveyor Indonesia has been assigned by the government,
under a biannual contract, to inspect Indonesian imports at
points of loading.
"The section head of division two often issues the
intelligence notes, which makes us suspicious. It seems to me
that they are just finding fault with importers," he said.
As an illustration, he said division two of the smuggling
prevention office has held up five containers of garlic seeds
imported from China since Feb. 17.
"Maybe they suspect that the garlic seeds are going to be used
for domestic consumption instead of seeding," Amirudin said,
adding that the importers of the garlic seeds had the necessary
documents, including an importation license from the Ministry of
Agriculture.
"It does not make sense at all that they have held it for 40
days without a clear explanation," Amirudin grumbled. He noted
that the garlic seeds are destined for garlic plantations in Java
and Sulawesi.
He said the 40-day delay has cost the garlic importer at least
Rp 60 million (US$25,680) for the rental of cool-storage
containers. The garlic seeds are valued at $105,042.
No officials at the directorate general were available for
comment yesterday.
Director General of Customs and Excise Soehardjo Soebardi was
reported as saying in Surabaya, East Java, last week that his
office is committed to eliminating all red tape at his office so
that there will be no more complaints from importers.
"If you encounter an invisible cost, please report it to me
with evidences... If it turns out to be true, I will take firm
measures to my subordinates," he said. (rid)