JAKARTA (JP): Director General of Customs and Excise Suhardjo

JAKARTA (JP): Director General of Customs and Excise Suhardjo
rejects charges of port corruption launched by importers and
surveyors.

Suhardjo said all accusations of wrongdoing by his staff must
be reported to him "in as detailed a manner and as specifically
as possible."

He told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday, "If they are just vague
complaints aired in the press, I'll say that those charges are
just frame-ups inflicted on my office."

The customs office was recently attacked by the Indonesian
Importers' Association (GINSI) and representatives of Societe
Generalle de Surveillance (SGS), the Swiss surveyor company which
inspects Indonesian imports at points of loading, for causing
inefficiency at Indonesia's main ports.

An SGS executive, who asked for anonymity, told the Post that
customs officials often improperly seize items checked at the
points of unloading.

According to Presidential Instruction No. 3/1991, the
Directorate General of Customs and Excise can only re-inspect
imported goods already scrutinized by surveyors for very specific
reasons, including damage to the packaging of the imported goods
or special requests from importers.

The instruction, however, also enables officials to recheck
imported goods on the basis of "information from the directorate
general's investigative division."

GINSI chairman Amirudin Saud also said that officials from the
customs and excise directorate general often "make up reasons" to
seize imported goods.

Suhardjo said that he will react firmly to all "legitimate
reports." He also acknowledged that there are 20 allegedly
corrupt customs officials currently under investigation.

"The public should know that GINSI, SGS, and PT Surveyor
Indonesia (SI) have potential interests in implicating us," he
said. "They are out to make profits."

"If they are sincere they should talk to me directly," he
added.

Suhardjo also said that he found GINSI's and SI's criticisms
"sanctimonious." (04)