NOWADAYS, globalisation has spread through out the world and started to eliminate borders in many aspect of human life. International trading among countries is improving in quality and quantity. It is seemed as a solution to answer of commodities scarcity in one country or region. Thus, people across the borders are always trying to get a maximum profit from the opportunities. As the consequences, some of them are competing tightly to get it without give respect to the business ethics.
We have heard many cases of smuggling illegal goods and commodities, which caused great loss to the country. To prevent any great loss from national revenue, we need a reliable tool that works on regulation and law enforcement in effective way. One of the effective tools to control and maintain the traffic is an accountable and transparent custom institution.
Indonesian Directorate General of Custom and Excises is reforming and improving their organization to meet the government and industrial expectations in custom administration. A long with reformation in this country, Indonesian Custom and Excises had made many breakthroughs to improve their service to the trader.
The custom institution has several important roles to the country. As trade facilitator and industrial supporting institution, they have to give the best service to trading institutions and industries by their regulation in custom and goods traffics. The institution is also has community protector role, or even to the country, from any illegal trading or harm goods that pass the country. Another role of is national revenue collector from import and export duties.
The Custom Directorate also optimising information technology function within their organization as well as to related institutions. They called the system as Indonesia National Single Window. The system connected to other custom related institutions and government organizations. With a reliable information system, the institution is able to get an up date about banned and restricted goods from another government institutions. In order to serve their clients in the best quality, custom institution used risk management and improving physical check procedure. All their works is done to improving their service in goods flow and retain an effective control.
One of their innovative solutions was Kantor Pelayanan Umum (KPU) Bea Cukai or Custom and Excises General Service Office, which were started on July 2007. Finance Department designed the office to serve business and international trader with excellent, transparent, fast, and immediate response in custom and excise administration service.
As a pilot project and reform locomotive, the office has set on Tanjung Priok and Batam, which are two main gate of Indonesia international trading gate. In fact, that Tanjung Priok harbour grasps 70 percents of international trading activity in Indonesia, and Batam holds about 20 percents, whereas others take 10 percents.
Before the one stop custom service had formed, the Custom Directorate surveyed their clients to identify service leakage. The survey results said that the institution faced several problems according to their duty. Rahmat Subagio, Chief of KPU Bea Cukai Tanjung Priok, explained that the big three of them are long serving time, no problem solving in administration nuisances, and illegal retributions. The survey result also mentioned that unpleasant factor in their service caused production delayed from the target and hiking cost for warehousing due to the material postponed.
“At the other hand, from the survey, the business need easiness in Custom Clearance is swift service, serving time assurance, periodical payment, and written warrantee,” said Rahmat Subagio, then he added, “since July 2007, we are trying to meet their expectation through our KPU Bea Cukai.”
In order to improve transparent and accountability of national finance, Finance Minister instructed Custom Directorate to reform bureaucracy within organization and formed a custom administration office that gives excellent service and has effective control. One of their will manifestations is KPU Bea Cukai Tanjung Priok. The office gives an outstanding service to business through their service features.
“We have five routes to administer custom and excises. They are Red, Yellow, Green, Non Priority MITA, and MITA Priority. Full facilities are given to the high reputable importer, named as Mitra Utama (MITA/Main Partner). MITA is importer or exporter who meet several requirement, such as transparent business pattern, having adequate control system to guarantee the data accuracy, has good custom records, had been audited by public auditor, always approved by related technical institution and meet the export-import requirements.
They have several advantage, such as impart custom service without Custom intervention, installed to Directorate General of Custom and Excises, and Client Coordinator service to solve any occur problem.” explain Rahmat Subagio.
Although KPU Bea Cukai Tanjung Priok has good infrastructures upright, such as internal information network, called Sistem Informasi dan Administrasi Pelayanan (SIAP) or Service Administration and Information System. Every employee can access the system that provide all information needed to support office activity, such as regulation, human resource data, unit performance report, and custom document tracking system.
Since July 2007, which KPU Bea Cukai Tanjung Priok and Batam was born, Indonesia Directorate General of Custom and Excises had recorded impressive record of accomplishment year by year. It is recorded that national revenue from custom and excises has grew year by year. In 2006, national revenue from custom and excises achieved 96,38 percent from its target or Rp 6,596.91 billions. A year later, the institution recorded 110, 47 percent or Rp 8,632.42 billions. Last year was the highest achievement, it recorded 153,37 percent from its target or Rp 13, 831.59 billions. For 2009, until 25 August, the national revenue has reached Rp 668.5 billions.
For the next step, KPU Bea Cukai Tanjung Priok set several goals, which divided into two categories. For internal improvement and goal, the institution is improving the internal information system to support any activities within the office, as well as enriched employees to build professionalism and integrity to their duty.
The external improvement is set to give customer satisfaction by Client Coordinator service consultancy to improve and educate importer, goods owner, exporter, freight forwarding, Custom Administration Service Business, and others stakeholder. (Andreas S. Sanusi)
Jakarta Globe, August 31, 2009
