The Indonesia Customs and Excise Department has become the latest body to join TradeLens, the blockchain-based initiative between A.P. Moeller – Maersk and IBM to ease the flow of goods across the world.
In a statement, TradeLens said the Indonesia Customs and Excise Department will be the third government agency in Southeast Asia to use the platform.
The announcement, according to TradeLens, follows months of implementation since plans were first made in 2019.
By replacing formerly paper-based processes, TradeLens will provide “an automatic and immutable” tracking tool which will lead to “a more secure, transparent, efficient and simpler workflow”.
In addition, it will provide near real-time information from a diverse network of ecosystem members.
Authorities will now be able to receive shipping data as soon as containers leave the port of origin.
This will give the Customs and Excise Department more time to prepare to receive shipments, thereby enabling more efficient and thorough fraud and forgery inspections as well as more consistent and transparent revenue collection processes.
Agus Sudarmad, Director of Customs and Excise Information of the Directorate General of Custom and Excise Office, said: “The customs and excise department aims to leverage the blockchain solution to simplify the exchange of goods, automate documentation and increase co-operation and communication between counterparties.
“TradeLens will help bring further visibility, predictability and security to us and will be a real asset for trade and transport facilitation, making Indonesia the preferred logistics and transport gateway in this region.”
