Shipment inspection
Shipment inspection
This is in response to the letter by A. Djuana (The Jakarta Post, Feb. 7, 1996). I would be glad to assist him in collating his shipping documents on future importations.
The writer alleges that the pre-shipment inspection report issued by the government appointed surveyor "...is a minuscule sheet of paper with a number and a date, nothing else." This creates difficulties when it comes to matching such reports with other shipping documents.
The writer will be relieved to hear that the "minuscule" document which has been faxed to him by his overseas suppliers is not in fact the inspection report. The minuscule document is nothing more than an adhesive sticker which is attached to the seller's invoice and which serves only to confirm that an inspection report was issued. The actual inspection report known as the Laporan Pemeriksaan Surveyor, or LPS, is printed on special security paper larger than A4 size and is a comprehensive document which includes the goods description, invoice number, price, weight, shipping details, seller's name and other data which makes reconciliation an easy process.
Importers whose goods are subject to pre-shipment inspection collect the LPS from their banks prior to customs clearance. For advance information, the importer may also obtain a copy of the LPS from the dispatch office of the PT Surveyor Indonesia PSI Division, which is located for the convenience of the importing public in the basement of the World Trade Center, Jakarta.
On one last point of clarification, the letter of A. Djuana was addressed to the SGS Group. In Indonesia, however, the government appointed surveyor is PT Surveyor Indonesia. It issues 85 percent of all the LPS issued under the Indonesian pre- shipment inspection program. The role of SGS as PT Surveyor Indonesia's principal subcontractor is to conduct physical inspection on a worldwide basis and issue the LPS as PT Surveyor's agent only in those countries where PT Surveyor has not yet established branch offices.
J.G. WILLIAMS
Director of Operations
PT Surveyor Indonesia
Jakarta