New system planned to nab bad customs officials

Rendi A. Witular, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Ministry of Finance plans to issue a decree to form a new import supervisory system that will allow the newly established customs watchdog to randomly inspect imported goods at all seaports after being released by the customs office.

The inspection is aimed at helping curb smuggling and undervaluation practices and to nab corrupt customs officials.

Head of the customs reform program at the Directorate General of Customs and Excise Nofrial told The Jakarta Post on Monday that the system was part of the government's plan to evaluate the performance of the customs office.

"Imported goods that have been cleared by the customs office would be inspected physically by the customs watchdog team shortly after the goods leave the port," said Nofrial.

The system, called "Spot Check", is slated to start April 1.

Nofrial said if the team found any irregularities then they would apprehend both the importer and the truck driver who carried the goods and track down the customs officials who helped in the clearance process.

The unscrupulous importers and the truck driver, said Nofrial, would be directly handed over to the police while the customs officials would be given severe administrative sanctions including demotion or dismissal.

The customs watchdog comprises officials from the Inspectorate General of the Ministry of Finance, the National Ombudsman and the National Police.

Customs officials will not be involved in the inspection process and there will be no prior notice given to the director general of customs about the spot inspection.

Nofrial further said that the head of a customs office could even be removed if found to be involved in granting a customs clearance for illegal goods or in undervaluation practices.

To date, the head of a customs service office is the last person in the hierarchy who authorizes the clearance of imported goods.

The customs office has been criticized for years for its failure to curb smuggling and undervaluation practices. The agency has long been suspected of colluding with smugglers.

Numerous systems and attempts to curb such practices have been launched over the past two years, however no concrete results have transpired.

Many businessmen suspect that government policies and systems to curb smuggling and undervaluation practices are mere window dressing to improve the tarnished image of the corruption- infested customs offices.