Losses germinate as customs block entry of garlic seeds

Losses germinate as customs block entry of garlic seeds

JAKARTA (JP): An importer failed again yesterday to clear his
garlic seeds, which the customs office has been holding for 43
days, through Tanjung Priok port, even though he was able to show
legal documents for their importation.

Chairman of the Indonesian Importers Association Amirudin Saud
announced yesterday that the importation of some 114 tons of
garlic seeds from China worth US$105,042 by PT Gemari Agrindo had
been approved by the Ministry of Agriculture's Directorate
General of Food Crops and Horticulture.

"The delay has cost the importer more than Rp 100 million
(US$43,000) in storage at the port, while the seeds are
deteriorating," said Amirudin.

The ministry's permit, copies of which were made available to
the press, stated that the total garlic seeds to be imported from
Shandong, China, was 870 tons.

Amirudin said that the importer had imported such seeds three
times through the Jakarta seaport and faced no difficulties at
the customs office.

However, he said, the port authority intercepted the fourth
shipment, which was kept at a port warehouse, when it was about
to be loaded into trucks on Feb. 17.

Director General of Customs and Excise Suhardjo announced on
Friday that the cargo was detained because it contained pests.

But Amirudin yesterday distributed copies of certificates from
the agricultural quarantine office which declared that the seeds
were free of any pests.

According to the chief of the anti-smuggling section of the
Directorate General of Customs and Excise, Thomas Sugijata, the
procedure to import the garlic should have been approved by the
National Logistics Agency (Bulog), not the Ministry of
Agriculture, and is subject to 10 percent import duty. (kod)