Yesterday's
trial run for containers didn't stem fears of chaos
by Tina Mata'afa
Samoa News Writer
Following yesterday's
trial run of the government's new system that centralizes container
inspections at the Fagatogo wharf, business owners maintain that
it will only lead to added costs and delays that will eventually
lead to higher prices for consumers.
"The present
situation must be stopped," Chamber of Commerce President
David Robinson said, responding to Samoa News inquiries. "It's
not going to do anybody any good at all."
Several business
owners visited the dock yesterday morning for the trial run where
an unusually high number of Customs officials were present to
inspect containers.
Robinson said
the first day "was easy" because of the controlled
environment in which containers were inspected and the high number
of Customs officials who were instructed to be at the wharf for
the trial run.
The real test
for the centralized sytem, introduced by ASG Treasurer Gaea Pelefoti
Failautusi, will be when the larger shipping vessels such as
the Polynesia and the Cap Matatula arrive, each with the capacity
to carry about 200 to 300 containers, said Robinson.
"It's going
to be chaos," he said.
Businesses sent
several employees (one to six employees) to the wharf to unload
and re-load company containers. Prior to the trial run, container
inspections were performed at the premises of a business.
Company employees
shook their heads in response to questions from Samoa News, only
saying that the new system "is too much work."
Several merchants,
some who anticipate the arrival of their containers on either
of the two larger vessels in the coming week, were at the docks,
to get an idea of what the new process entails.
Wholesale and
retail store containers were among the first to be inspected
during the trial run.
Employees experienced
difficulties in reloading containers, which business owners who
spoke to Samoa News said was to be expected as the freight containers
are packed by "professional packers."
Tool Shop owner
Peter Crispin said the containers which he saw inspected yesterday,
some with about four to six different items inside, were much
easier to unload and inspect compared to the 40-foot container
he expects to arrive next week.
He said his container
holds about 500 to 1,000 different items, for his Tool Shop,
the merchandise purchased from about 60 different vendors in
the US mainland and shipped to American Samoa by a freight consolidator
which packs and ships the merchandise for them.
Tool Shop receives
several 40-foot containers each month, each costing the company
about $3,500 in duty tax for $70,000 worth of product, Crispin
explained.
"Pretty
much everybody's in concensus that there's 100 better ways of
doing it," he said. "This is going to be extra and
somebody's got to to pay for it...consumers are going to pay
for it."
In response to
comments made by Gaea earlier this week, who said the the goal
is to collect excise taxes and prevent illegal drugs and weapons
from entering our territory, Crispin said random inspections
of "big ticket items" such as cigarettes and beer,
would work better.
One merchant
who wished to remain anonymous, said inspectors told him yesterday,
they'd be able to average four containers per hour, however,
he said one container of boxed items took more than two hours
to load and unload.
Facilities where
containers are being inspected, the rear part of the Port Administration
building, can hold up to a maximum six containers at one time-two
forty foot containers and four 20-foot containers to allow for
trucks to go in and out moving containers about.
Robinson said
when the larger Polynesia arrives, "that's when the trouble
is really going to start."
"In practical
terms, there's going to be an exceedingly long delay and extra
costs that will passed on to the consumer," said Robinson.
He added, the
Chamber supports Customs' efforts to crack down on imports of
illegal drugs and weapons, however, merchants are being made
to pay for "the bad habits of a few people."
Crispin, refering
to Gaea's comments made before the House Budget and Appropriations
Committee last week, said, if the new system also aims to crack
down on corruption within Customs such as officers accepting
bribes, "this is not going to fix it. They have to find
who are the corrupt people and prosecute them."
Hangsong Lin,
owner of Asian Star store in Leone said he is neither happy,
nor upset about the new policy. He told Samoa News, "if
the government says to me, 'take it out and check it' I will
take it out and check it. I can't say anything."
Reach the
reporter at tina@samoanews.com.
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