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THE
local unit of a Singapore-based entity may soon be
allowed to facilitate Philippine import transactions,
making it the fourth such company to help businesses
expedite the release of imported goods.
Crimson
Logic
Philippines,
a unit of a Singapore-based firm, may be accredited by
the Bureau of Customs (BOC) as its fourth value-added
service provider (VASP) early next month after it passed
a number of tests required by the agency.
Besides
pursuing its government accreditation, the company is
ready to accept transactions from importers once allowed
by the agency to do so, Customs Deputy Commissioner
Alexander Arevalo said Tuesday.
“There
is just one minor error that [Crimson Logic] needs to
look at,” Arevalo said, refusing to elaborate.
Once the
forerunner in the agency’s accreditation process, the
company fell behind when it decided to undertake a major
upgrade of its systems. Even without government
accreditation, Crimson Logic already offered its
services to customs brokers as early as June last year.
It later suspended its marketing initiatives.
As a
result, three other VASPs—Intercommerce Network Services
Inc., Cargo Data Exchange Center and E-Konek Pilipinas—have
all secured government accreditation, allowing each to
undertake transactions with importers.
Once
Crimson Logic secures the agency’s endorsement, it may
need to catch up since Customs will soon be testing the
systems of its three rivals for the second phase of the
agency’s automation program.
The
second phase includes client profile registration,
electronic license and clearance and online release.
The
first phase only includes the system for lodgment of
import declarations for consumption and warehousing.
“We are
concentrating first in the implementation of other
aspects of Phase I of our VASP program that are in the
pipeline the past couple of months before jumping to
Phase II,” Arevalo said. “Importers should wait for
final announcement from BOC before inking agreements
with any of the VASPs for Phase II to avoid any
conflicts in the future.” |
