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THE
Bureau of Customs (BOC) will request the assistance of
the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) to help implement a
program allowing importers to clear their goods half-an-
hour upon arrival at the country's terminals.
Customs
deputy commissioner Alexander Arevalo disclosed that the
two agencies are required to sign another memorandum of
agreement so that the BOC could access ship arrival
schedules from the PPA.
"From
there, we will be able to evaluate and process low-risk
shipments even before the vessel and cargo actually
arrive at our ports," Arevalo said.
"Hopefully, by next month we will be able to implement
this along with the 12-hour advance manifest
guidelines."
Based on
the proposed agreement, PPA will give BOC the name,
date, time, and the port of call of all incoming vessels
ahead of the 12-hour advance manifest requirement.
The
bureau intends to implement the 30-minute releasing of
cargo, especially low-risk goods, within the first half
of the year.
Currently, the agency is still testing the systems of E-Konek
Pilipinas and Cargo Data Exchange Center, its
third-party partners selected to handle advance vessel
information from the Association of International
Shipping Lines.
Last
month, PPA, BOC and United Harbor Pilots' Association of
the Philippines endorsed an agreement, empower all
agencies to monitor all the activities at private and
private commercial ports.
The
agreement intended to curb smuggling, which the Bureau
claimed are being done on trampers, also known as
vessels which have no regular schedules.
Under
Customs Administrative Order 1-2007, the bureau will
require shipping lines, the forwarders, cargo
consolidators, coloaders, and break-bulk agents to
provide the agency with data and information of vessels
and cargoes that will arrive in any port nationwide 12
hours prior to arrival.
Besides
preventing smuggling, the new policy is also meant to
expedite the release of cargo upon the arrival of
shipments since importers and brokers will only have to
present the original hard copy of the manifests.
"To do
that, all the necessary work should be done some 12
hours in advance," Arevalo said. |
