Imports inspector ends contract Print
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Written by Kay Kimsong
Wednesday, 20 May 2009
*French company BIVAC set to leave Cambodia after finishing customs
operations in the Kingdom at the end of April, as Government says it has
acquired necessary expertise.*
090520_14.jpg
Photo by: *TRACEY SHELTON *
A lorry moves containers at Phnom Penh's dry port in this file photo.
French company BIVAC has finished its contract with Cambodia. The
government determined it now has sufficient capacity to undertake
pre-shipment inspections.
THE government will not renew its contract with BIVAC, the French
company contracted in April 2006 to undertake pre-shipment inspections
on goods imported from ASEAN nations.
Kun Nhem, the Customs and Excise deputy director general, told the Post
on Tuesday the government now has qualified staff that can do the job.
"The contract is finished and as of May 1 importers should not pay fees
to BIVAC," he said. "The contract ended officially on April 30. We are
now qualified to check the original prices of goods in the country of
origin for all shipments."
Pre-shipment inspection is the practice of employing specialised private
firms to check the price, quantity and quality of goods ordered from
another country.
Kun Nhem said the Kingdom had outsourced its pre-shipment inspection
role longer than any other ASEAN nation inspector, and noted that
import-tax revenues for May were unchanged compared with those months
for which BIVAC was responsible.
"Having BIVAC is the same as not having BIVAC," he concluded.
Kun Nhem said that under the BIVAC system, importers paid a fee to the
company for the service, and BIVAC's agents in the nations from where
goods were shipped would check the shipment.
"Now without BIVAC the importers are happy because they don't have to
incur this fee," he said, adding that the service added to the price
paid by consumers.
An office worker at BIVAC's Cambodia office confirmed that the firm
ceased pre-inspection work on May 1.
------------
Without BIVAC the importers are happy ... they don't have to incur
this fee.
------------
She said BIVAC charged importers US$250 for a 40-foot container, and
$200 for a 20-foot container, with a maximum charge of $500. She
referred all other questions to her managers, but the Post was unable to
contact them.
Chan Sophal, the president of the Cambodian Economic Association, said
cutting out BIVAC would benefit importers, and agreed that local
officials were technically able to take over the PSI role.
"Whether they have the will to do it is another matter," he said.
Chan Sophal said the government should take other measures to ensure
that revenue from customs fees ended up in the Treasury. He said low
salaries paid to Customs officials resulted in some keeping revenues for
themselves.
"With the economic downturn, the government should look at cutting
spending - such as spending on companies like BIVAC," he said. "And
corrupt customs officials take more money for their own pockets than
they hand to the nation."
He said officials should stop taking advantage of their positions and
should realise the revenue is needed to develop the country in a time of
economic crisis.
Tyre importer Kong Nuon, the chairman of the Kong Nuon Import and Export
Company, said the termination of BIVAC's contract had made the import
process easier and cheaper.
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