Infrasaun Regra no Ignoransia Responsabilidade Seguransa iha Servisu Alfândega Timor-Leste

Fundasaun Mahein (FM), 26 Maiu 2016

Komunikadu Imprensa

Liu husi Mahein Nia Hanoin Nu. 10 (Versaun Tetum.pdf) kona-bá Lei No 2/2010 Lei Seguransa Nasional deskreve Diresaun Jeral Alfândegas nu’udar parte integrante ida husi Sistema Integradu Seguransa Nasional (SISN) atu hatan ba ameasa no risku sira ba seguransa nasional. Diresaun Jeral Alfândegas iha kna’ar ida atu jere asaun sira kontrolu aduaneiru iha fronteira utiliza informasaun sira ne’ebé hetan iha âmbitu SISN ba kobransa reseita, protesaun ba komunidade no prevensaun ba infrasaun. Diresaun Jeral Alfândegas kolabora mos ho intituisaun seguransa no intelijênsia sira iha promosaun abordajen nasional hodi identifika atividade illegal sira. Nune’e ho Dekretu Lei No 38/2015 Organika Ministériu ba Finansa nian, Diresaun Jeral Alfândega integra administrasaun direta ba Estadu no atribui kna’ar prinsipal ba Diresaun Jeral Alfândega responsável ba administrasaun no kolekta ba impostu sira no taxa aduaneirus ne’ebé kobra iha odamatan entrada teritóriu nasional nian.

Maske nune’e, relatóriu ne’e identifika, primeiru, iha loron 29 fulan Marsu 2016 ba atuasaun autoridade seguransa prende kontentor ne’ebé tau iha Alfândega no lokaliza iha Portu Dili. Iha ne’ebé antes ne’e autoridade seguransa deskonfia ona katak sasan sira ne’ebé iha kontentor laran kategoria kontra-bandu ka illegal. Nune’e husi kontentor hirak ne’ebé hatama liu husi Portu Dili no tau iha Alfândega nia kontrolu, tuir dokumentu Bill of Lading ne’ebé importador hato’o ba Diresaun Jeral Alfândega, importa Home Appliance and Furniture. Tuir sasan na’in deklara mos ba autoridade seguransa katak sasan hirak ne’e fornese ba Estadu Timor-Leste. Nune’e atuasaun husi autoridade seguransa nian identifika iha kontentor laran la’os sasan ne’ebé aprezenta iha dokumentu Bill of Lading, Commercial Invoice no deklarasaun ne’ebé hato’o husi sasan nia na’in maibe Makina Jogu Kasino nian. Ironiku seluk ne’ebé FM hetan mos katak bainhira autoridade seguransa halo atuasaun ba kazu refere hetan intervensaun husi pesoal Alfândega balu. Tamba konsidera atuasaun husi autoridade seguransa la tuir prosidementu sira ne’ebé aplika iha Diresaun Jeral Alfândega.

Kazu segundu, iha loron 30 fulan Marsu 2016. FM nia monitorizasaun ba atuasaun ne’e nian, tuir autoridade seguransa sira hato’o katak loron ne’e funsionariu sira husi Diresaun Jeral Alfândega nian “mogok” ka lahala’o servisu tamba atuasaun loron dahuluk nian (29 Marsu 2016). Maibe husi FM nia monitorizasaun sasan na’in sira iha Alfândega kontinua sobu kontentor no lori sai sasan husi Alfândega. Sasan hirak ne’ebé sobu husi kontentor no lori sai maka biscuit, nasi kotak mamuk no kareta baskolante ida. Iha atuasaun autoridade seguransa nian identifika katak importador selu deit taxa ba biscuit nian la inklui taxa ba kareta no nasi kotak mamuk (ka la selu taxa ba kareta no nasi kotak mamuk) maske iha Bill of Lading importa deit kareta. Husi atuasaun autoridade seguransa nian ne’e hetan mos intervensaun husi pesoal Alfâmdega balu no iha loron ne’e kedas autoridade kaptura pesoal refere hodi detein iha sela polisia nian no submete ba investigasaun.

Ikus liu, Monitorizasaun FM nian iha loron 26 fulan Abril 2016, atuasaun autoridade seguransa prende sasan kontentor haat 5478 Cartons tua SOJU 360 mL alkohol 17,8% (importasaun selektivu ka Excice Tax) ne’ebé rai iha Alfândega ne’ebé liu ona tempu ne’ebé tanki hasai husi Alfândega maibe la hola prosesu sira tuir Kodigu Aduaneiru nia haruka. Tambasa Alfândega la hola prosesu ba kazu ida ne’e maske liu ona prazu prosesamentu nian to’o iha atuasaun husi autoridade seguransa? Tuir Lei Alfândega ka Kodigu Aduaneiru prazu prosesu dokumentu nian selu impostu ba sasan ne’ebé importa tempu limite loron tolu-nolu [30]. Se liu loron ne’ebé termina (loron 30) seidauk selu impostu sei kona Koima Administrativa 5% ba total sasan nia folin. Nune’e Alfândega sei fo tan loron neen-nolu [60] sasan na’in hodi trata ka prosesu selu impostu, maibe sei selu mos ho Koima Administrativa 5% husi valor sasan nian tamba demora prosesu. Bainhira liu ona husi prazu husi loron 60 nafatin sasan nain la-mai trata dokumentu hodi selu impostu, sasan refere sei hela ba Estadu. Maibe faktu hatudu Alfândega la hola prosesu ba kazu ida ne’e signifika katak Alfândega ignora prosesu sira tuir Kodigu Aduaneiru nia haruka tamba sasan kontentor haat [4] rai iha Alfândega sura husi sasan tama nian loron 11 fulan Agustu 2015 to’o buska iha loron 26 fulan Abril 2016, sasan hirak ne’e liu ona loron sia-nolu (Fulan ualu [8] 15 dias). Loron 30 prosesu normal ka fulan ida (to’o 11 Setembru 2015) maibe sasan na’in seidauk selu impostu durante loron tolu-nolu [30] nia laran kona Koima Administrativu 5%. Husi iresponsabilidade Alfândega nian tuir kalkulu ne’ebé FM halo ba kbazeia Kodigu Aduaneiru nian no Lei Tributaria kona-bá selu impostu nian Estadu Timor-Leste lakon taxa ne’ebé lolos tenki tama iha reseita Estadu nian hamutuk US$ 526,545.36. Inklui mos multa husi kompañia ba Koima Administrativu 5% husi total presu sasan nian tamba la trata ka prosesu dokumentu selu taxa nian durante loron tolu-nolu nia laran hamutuk US$ 5,478.00.

Rekomendasaun

1. Rekomenda ba Ministériu ba Finansa presiza halo Auditoria ba servisu Alfândega nian hodi deskobre liu-tan iregularidade sira ne’ebe durante ne’e akontese iha Alfândega.

2. Presiza hadi’a mekanismu servisu Alfandega nian hodi prevene pratika iregularidade sira iha tempu tuir mai.

3. Rekomenda presiza halo investigasaun kle’an liu-tan ba parte sira ne’ebé involve iha kazu sira ne’ebé temi dadauk iha leten liu-liu pratika iregularidade husi servisu Alfândega no importador sira.

Atu hetan informasaun kle’an liu kona-bá asuntu ne’e bele kontaktu:

Nélson Belo
Diretor Ezekutivu
Email: direktor.mahein@gmail.com
Telemovel: (+670) 78316075 no 77561184
Website: www.fundasaunmahein.org

Fundasaun Mahein (FM), May 26 2016

Press Release

Irregular Conduct and Disregard for Security Responsibilities in Custom Services of Timor-Leste

National Security Law No.2/2010 describes the General Customs Directorate, an integral part of the Integrated System of National Security (SISN) intended to respond to threats and risks to national security. The role of the Customs Directorate is to manage customs checks at the border by utilizing SISN information in collecting revenue, protecting the community, and preventing customs infractions. It also collaborates with security institutions and intelligence to promote an approach for identifying illegal activities. Law Decree No. 38/2015, on the Ministry of Finance, states that the General Customs Directorate is directly integrated administration for the State and that its primary role is to be responsible for administration and collecting taxes and custom fees at the entry points of the country.

However, FM has noted several incidents in which Customs Services have been worryingly engaged in irregular practices and unlawful conduct. First, FM recorded an incident on March 29th, 2016, wherein authorities seized a cargo container kept at customs in the Dili port. Authorities had suspected the container held illegal substances or material, and it had been suspiciously left in the custom area’s control and given a Bill of Landing document. The document was presented by the importers to Customs, stating that they were importing home appliances and furniture. The owner of the goods stated to authorities that the goods were provided for the State; however, the container was revealed to hold casino machines—not listed by the importers, nor on the Bill of Landing, nor in the Commercial Invoice. Further, FM found that during the operation by security officials, it was discovered that personal interventions were made by customs officials, out of line with standard operating procedure for the General Customs Directorate.

FM’s monitoring further noted a second incident on March 30th, in which customs workers went on strike following the events the day prior. However, FM found that even during the strike, a goods owner continued to break down their container and move the goods out of the port, including cartons, biscuits, and a truck. The owner paid entry taxes on only the biscuits, and the Bill of Landing only listed the import of the car. Again, customs staff intervened in the security processes at the port, and authorities arrested those staff involved in the interference, who were detained at the police jail for further investigation.

Finally, FM noted a case on April 26th, 2016, in which authorities seized four containers carrying 5,478 cartons of Soju wine, 17.8% percent alcohol stored in 360 ml handles (selective import or excise tax) whose customs seizure order had already expired and were due to be removed from customs, but were not processed according to the customs check order. Why were the goods not removed from customs and processed properly by authorities? According to customs regulations, the deadline and limitation period for the process of paying tax on imported goods is 30 days. If the period exceeds 30 days, 5% of the profits of the goods will be taken as an infringement tax in addition to the import tax. If the import tax payment period exceeds the 60-day mark, the goods belong to the state. In this instance, this process was ignored and the goods were kept at customs for a running total of 90 days (August 11th, 2015, to April 26th, 2016). Due to customs authorities’ ineptness in collecting tax on goods and docking an additional 5% within the 30-day initial period, FM estimates that the state lost out on income from taxes totaling approximately $526,545.36. For this instance, FM estimates the taxes and additional 5% docked from the company would add an additional $5,478.00.

Recommendations

1. The Ministry of Finance issues audits for customs service in order to discover irregularities and unlawful conduct that continue to occur inside the department.

2. The Ministry improve its mechanisms of the custom service in order to prevent further internal irregularities in the coming years.

3. Further investigations be made into the cases mentioned above, in which the aforementioned parties and Customs officials have been engaged in multiple instances of irregular conduct

For more details, please contact:

Nélson Belo
Executive Director of FM
Web: www.fundasaunmahein.org
E-mail: direktor.mahein@gmail.com
Phone (+670) 7737-4222 or (+670) 77561184