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