LABUAN: Over 40 container loads of alcoholic beverages worth millions of ringgit are piling up at the Labuan Liberty Wharf (Labuan’s containerised port) since February due to a delay in the issuance of a valid liquor import licence for the consignments by the Customs Department.
Labuan Chinese Chamber of Commerce (LCCC) president Datuk Wong Kii Yii said the alcoholic beverages were held up as the Department has yet to renew the import licences.
“We have forwarded a letter of intervention from the Customs Department in Putrajaya to help resolve the issue as the delay in the issuance of the permit will cause importers to incur losses, as they have to bear the port charges and containers demurrage charges daily,” he said today.
The cargoes belong to five importers – Lautan Mas Jaya Sdn Bhd, Suanco Jaya Sdn Bhd, Tee and Chua Sdn Bhd, Rakyat Distributor Sdn Bhd and Lihan Trading Sdn Bhd.
Kii Yii said the Customs Department had previously allowed the import of duty-free alcoholic beverage cargoes while the liquor import licence was under a renewal process, as their consignments in January were allowed to be cleared without a problem.
“But since February, the Customs Department did not allow any cargoes of alcoholic beverages to be cleared, citing no import is allowed without a valid liquor import licence,” he pointed out.
Kii Yii said the chamber had, on April 8, sent a letter of appeal to the Customs headquarters on the predicament of the importers and made several requests to resolve the issue.
Among others, he said, the importers should be allowed to immediately clear their cargoes from the port yard and bring them across to their warehouses to save on daily port charges and container demurrage, while the Customs headquarters processes the renewal of import licence.
Kii Yii said to speed up the clearance, the Customs headquarters could also delegate the licence renewal process to its Labuan office and release the cargoes upon inspection.
As business premises are closed in view of Covid-19 Movement Control Period (MCO), he asked the Labuan port operator and shipping companies to consider waiving all the port and demurrage charges incurred by the importers to ease their financial quandary.
“We understand from importers that the renewal of import licence has always been a problem to the Customs Department, hence, the chamber would like to assist the Customs wherever it is possible to resolve the outstanding issue amicably,” he added. – April 9, 2020, Bernama
