Recent Experience on Access to Indonesia – Bond in Force 2009

Created by val. Last modified on 2009-03-11 14:49:48
Contributors:
Countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand

In 2008 we made an extensive cruise in Indonesia as part of the Eastern Indonesia Rally. This year we planned to return to Indonesia from Singapore before heading north to the Philippines. That was not to be.

Apparently the long threatened customs bond is now in force. This was confirmed by Batam customs upon enquiry before our departure from Singapore. We already had our visas and cruising permit (CAIT). These were issued without formal reservations, although our agent did mention the possibility of the bond being enforced. Our boat Necessity is a 13 years old 40’ Hallberg Rassy. One estimate calculated the bond to approx. US$ 20000. Exactly how this was to be posted was never made clear, but both a bank guarantee and an actual deposit was mentioned. Neither was it made clear how the refund would be made. This was entirely unacceptable to us, so we are currently cruising in Malaysia along the cost of Borneo.

Indonesia being Indonesia, it is quite possible that other ports of entry have a different practice. I also assume that Sail Indonesia and other rallies will go ahead without such measures being enforced, although some problems had to be sorted out in Kupang in 2008.

We know for a fact that various interest groups in Indonesia are trying to sort this out with the Director General of Indonesian Customs, so the bond issue still needs to be monitored.

Jan Fr. Mack
SY Necessity