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)