The government launched Tuesday the third phase of the National Single Window (NSW), an online service for importers and exporters that could help businesses cope with the global economic downturn.

This latest phase of the NSW, aimed at streamlining the flow of exports and imports and preventing smuggling, includes Tanjung Perak Port in Surabaya, Belawan Port in Medan and Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang. They will join Tanjung Priok Port in Jakarta and Tanjung Emas Port in Semarang.

All importers and customs brokers at Tanjung Priok and Tanjung Emas must comply with the NSW, under the latest implementation.

Prior to this, only 146 importers benefited from the NSW, selected based on their record in adhering to port regulations.

This figure “rises to 4,852 ‘active’ importers”, out of 18,737 registered importers at the five ports, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said. There are about 600 customs brokers.

“The ‘inactive’ importers may be illegal or hit-and-run importers,” she added.

Mulyani said with the NSW, business costs could go down because companies would deal exclusively with an NSW team, rather than pay illegal fees to port officials.

“The NSW can reduce the cost of doing business, which will ease business spending. With a cut in business costs, businesses will have the capacity to keep their hired employees,” she said.

Gunawan Setiadi, treasurer of the Priority Lanes Companies Association (APJP), said he expected the NSW to benefit exporters too, with many businesses using imported goods for export.

Exporters can make use of the NSW too, but only temporarily, at Tanjung Priok, said Susiwijono, the technical head of the NSW preparation team.

“We will hold a technical test for exports through the NSW next month,” he said, adding 70 percent of chosen exporters had been recommended by the Trade Ministry, and the rest by the Forestry Ministry.

This year, the Directorate General of Customs and Excise checked 735,444 documents at the five ports, 64 percent of which were sent through the NSW.

About 70 percent of all imports to Indonesia go through Tanjung Priok Port.

Regarding the implementation of the NSW at Soekarno-Hatta airport, Susiwijono said the preparation team would check flight schedules, cargo handling information and weather forecasts to ensure the speedy flow of goods.

Anwar Suprijadi, director general of customs and excise, said the flow of goods through airports was much quicker than through seaports, making the business process more difficult.

In 2009, the government is set to integrate the NSW with the ASEAN Single Window (ASW), comprising Indonesia, Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.

Other ASEAN countries — Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar and Vietnam — must join the ASW by 2012 at the latest. The ASW is part of the 2015 ASEAN Economic Community.

Authorities involved in the NSW:

1. Directorate General of Customs and Excise

2. Food and Drug Monitoring Agency

3. Directorate General of International Trade

4. Agriculture Quarantine Agency

5. Fish Quarantine Center

6. Health Ministry

7. Directorate General of Post and Telecommunications

8. Nuclear Energy Regulatory Agency

9. Agriculture Ministry

10. Industry Ministry

11. Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry

12. Forestry Ministry

13. Office of the State Minister

for the Environment

14. National Police

15. Defense Ministry

Source: NSW Preparation Team

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