Revision of policies demanded on postal service, trucking
Revision of policies demanded on postal service, trucking
JAKARTA (JP): Associations of courier firms and forwarders
yesterday demanded that the government revise policies on postal
services and introduce laws on cargo transportation and customs
procedures.
The secretary general of the Indonesian Forwarders Association
(Infa), Santoso Soeparman, said in a hearing with Commission V of
the House of Representatives (DPR) yesterday that the proposed
policies and laws are needed to support forwarding firms by
encouraging them to improve services to the business community.
Yesterday's hearing was also attended by executives of the
Indonesian Association of Courier Companies (Asperindo).
Asperindo's chairman, Rudy J. Pesik, told the commission,
which deals with housing, tourism, postal services and
transportation, that the monopoly of postal services by the
state-owned postal service, Perum Pos dan Giro, is bad for the
public and hampers business activities.
"Many companies need speedy and reliable services for the
delivery of commercial papers, which cannot be fully accommodated
by Perum Pos dan Giro," Pesik said.
He noted that the privately-run courier firms are
internationally recognized.
"The market segments of courier firms are actually different
from those of the state-owned postal service," Pesik said.
Courier firms can deliver only printed materials, newspapers
and cash valued at less Rp 250,000 (US$116).
The Postal Law bans air express companies from delivering
letters and commercial papers, which may offer opportunities to
courier companies.
Bribery
Pesik said that based on the law, officials of local
prosecutors offices regularly ransack the offices of courier
companies to look for clues. "They stop our cars, open up our
filing cabinets and threaten us with law suits. But everything is
fine if we bribe them," he explained.
Maruhum Situmorang, a commission member, however, doubted
whether the law has caused a decline in the courier business,
saying that courier companies have even expanded their
investments and increased earnings.
In 1984, for example, only 1,148 courier firms were
registered. Ten years later, the Ministry of Tourism, Post and
Telecommunications estimated that the number had increased to
1,500.
Meanwhile, Santoso stressed the importance of introducing a
law on cargo transportation services.
While waiting for the introduction of such a law, the
government can issue a regulation to arrange transportation
contracts to help eliminate red tape and to prompt local
forwarding corporations to make international shipments.
He said that a law on customs procedures would also eliminate
bribery at customs offices.
Asperindo currently has 114 members, while Infa groups 1,250
companies. (09)