•    HOME   
•    NEWS   
•    BUSINESS   
•    INTERNATIONAL   
•    TECH   
•    SPORTS   
•    LIFE & TIMES   
•    OPINION   
•    MY JAKARTA   
•    BLOGS   
•    EYEWITNESS   

A new management system for cargo inspections at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport may be delayed another month, the Ministry of Transportation said.

The system, which would replace warehouse operators with regulated agents during cargo inspections, was scheduled to begin Sunday, after the government postponed an earlier start date to boost security and conform with international standards.

“We have not run the new procedure yet,” said Herry Bakti Singayuda Gumay, director general of air transportation at the Ministry of Transportation. “We are still evaluating all the facilities. The preparation is still not 100 percent ready.”

The new regulations on cargo inspections come in the wake of a courier strike that crippled the cargo terminal at Jakarta’s main airport in July.

Under the new inspection system, packages will also be inspected individually in an X-ray scanner rather than in bulk.

Measuring the effectiveness of the new regulation would have been impossible on Sunday because deliveries were minimal at the end of Idul Fitri, said Syarifuddin, executive director of the Indonesian Express Delivery Companies Association (Asperindo).

“Delivery volume will go back to normal after Sept. 7,” he said.

To ensure a steady flow of operations and reasonable rates, delivery agents affected by the new policy will argue for more couriers, said Syarifuddin.

“The Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, along with other associations, will continue to fight for this matter,” he said.

The government had granted new cargo handling licenses at Indonesia’s international airports to three companies: state-owned airport operator Angkasa Pura II, Birotika Semesta (DHL Express) and Pajajaran Global Service. The previously appointed companies were Duta Angkasa Prima Kargo, Gita Afian Trans, and Fajar Anugerah Sejahtera.

According to Syarifuddin, the government’s decision contradicted regulations set by the International Civil Aviation Organization, which state that courier companies can act as regulated agents, and they do not have to be newly established.

“The investment to set up a new independent company will be bigger,” he said. “Our concern is that [independent companies ]will take longer to handle the process and will charge a higher fee.”

Before there were any inspection agents, the state airport operator checked cargo at a rate of Rp 60 (about one cent) per kilogram. With the new agents, the tariff could rise to Rp 600 per kilogram.

“The tariff increase should be in line with inflation,” Syarifuddin said. “We would still understand if the increase is up to Rp 100 [per kilogram].”

He explained that Soekarno-Hatta airport receives as much as 900 tons of cargo during a normal day.

“Looking at other countries, we ideally should have at least 100 couriers,” Syarifuddin said.

Neighboring Singapore has about 290 courier companies, he said, and Hong Kong has about 1,300 courier companies.

Meanwhile, state-owned Angkasa Pura II said it started operating Saturday as a regulated agent at Soekarno-Hatta airport, based on a temporary license issued by the Ministry of Transportation on Aug. 25.

“The license certificate will be effective for three months from the issuing date,” said Sudaryanto, senior general manager at Angkasa Pura II, in a press statement Sunday.

Sudaryanto added that Angkasa Pura II will charge an inspection service fee of as much as Rp 250 per kilogram for the next six months. The cost would cover security, the process for loading and unloading, and distribution from inspection area to storage room.

Additional reporting by Fidelis E. Satriastanti.