PBM in East Kalimantan Protests STS in Muara Jawa, Depalindo Asks Government to Intervene

JAKARTA, investor.id - The Indonesian Nation Shipper Council (Depalindo) has asked the government to regulate the rampant loading and unloading activities in ship-to-ship transfers (STS) that have shifted from Muara Berau STS, which is located within the customs area, to Muara Jawa, East Kalimantan, which is not yet within the customs area.

Depalindo Chairman Toto Dirgantoro expressed regret over the prolonged alleged neglect of this shift, as it contradicts the Minister of Finance Regulation (PMK).

“The thing is, apart from the fact that STS activities in Muara Jawa are not yet included in the customs area, this practice has the potential to harm state revenue due to a reduction in royalties to the government,” said Toto, through his official statement on Wednesday (21/2/2024).

He conveyed this following his office receiving a copy of a letter of protest from a stevedoring company (PBM) in East Kalimantan regarding this matter on February 20, 2024.

Through letter number 007/DPW- APBMI/Kaltim/Smda/II/2024, the Regional Executive Board of the Indonesian Stevedoring Companies Association of East Kalimantan (DPW APBMI Kaltim) sent a protest note to the Samarinda Customs and Excise Office regarding the rampant stevedoring activities in ship-to-ship transfers (STS) that had shifted from STS Muara Berau to Muara Jawa, East Kalimantan.

In addition to Depalindo, the APBMI Kaltim protest note, signed by Chairman Tekka Singko and Secretary Trilaksono, was also copied to the Head of the Presidential Staff Office of the Republic of Indonesia, the Minister of Finance of the Republic of Indonesia, the Minister of Transportation of the Republic of Indonesia, the Regional Head of the DJBC Kalbagtim, KSOP Class I Samarinda, and the DPP APBMI in Jakarta.

Toto said that there were a number of reasons behind the protest by APBMI East Kalimantan, namely: First, the loading and unloading activities carried out so far at STS Muara Berau are a source of income for loading and unloading businesses and TKBM KOMURA workers from Samarinda, and have been going on for more than ten years.

Second, the issuance of Form 3D (transfer permit) to shippers to conduct loading/unloading activities in Muara Jawa has had a very concerning social impact on the 82 loading/unloading companies in Samarinda, especially the 1,150 members of the KOMURA loading/unloading workers union.

Third, since October 2023, there has been a shift in loading and unloading activities from STS Muara Berau, which has been designated as a customs area, to Muara Jawa (outside the customs area).

“This situation has caused 82 PBM in Samarinda to lose their jobs and 1,150 TKBM KOMURA workers to lose their income. If this continues, it has the potential to cause social inequality between Samarinda and Kuala Samboja, which will disrupt the conducive atmosphere that has existed for years,” said Toto.

Toto, who is also Secretary General of the Indonesian Exporters Association (GPEI), stated that based on Minister of Finance Regulation No. 155/2022 article 16 paragraph 1 concerning the loading of export goods onto means of transport departing outside the customs area, this must be done in the customs area or another place outside the customs area after obtaining permission from the head of the customs office. The loading of export goods outside the customs area may be permitted, the conditions for which are stipulated in Article 17, namely if there is no customs area available and the export goods are of a special nature in terms of their characteristics, size, and/or shape, which makes it impossible to load them in the customs area.
In addition, if the means of transport cannot dock directly at the pier, there are technical obstacles in the customs area, such as the unavailability or damage of equipment for loading and/or other considerations with regard to the optimization of export services and/or supervision.

Therefore, Depalindo requested that the Samarinda Customs and Excise Office enforce the regulations as they should be, namely by not issuing transshipment permits outside the customs area, so that all parties adhere to the applicable laws and do not take other routes that could create an unfavorable atmosphere.

Editor: Theresa Sandra Desfika (theresa.sandra@investor.id)
Source: https://investor.id/business/354374/pbm-di-kaltim-protes-sts-di-muara-jawa-depalindo-minta-pemerintah-turun-tangan