BoC to cut number of approvals for cargo release

Posted on November 05, 2015 10:48:00 PM

THE BUREAU of Customs (BoC) is moving to significantly reduce the number of approvals needed for the release of shipments by next year, as part of its efforts to further curb corruption in the agency.

Customs Commissioner Alberto D. Lina said the plan, which is aimed to be in place by January, would allow cargo to be processed and released in 30 minutes, a far cry from the current processing time of one to two days.

“We are looking at reducing the number of approvals from six to two for the release of shipments. Sometimes (the number of approvals needed) reaches up to eight signatures,” Mr. Lina told reporters in Filipino at a media roundtable late Tuesday.

Asked what prompted the changes, the Customs chief said this was “demand of the industry.”

“As a matter of fact, I have been receiving letters already asking if the number of signatories can be trimmed,” he said.

Mr. Lina believes that cutting the number of signatories needed to release shipments would also reduce corruption at the agency.

“Once the number of signatories are reduced, corruption will also be (reduced),” he added.

Should the plan push through, an importer would only need to secure clearance from a Customs examiner and a section head to get hold of his cargo shipments, Mr. Lina said.

He said they are considering setting a maximum of three approvals, particularly if the shipment has to pass through an X-ray machine.

The BoC, however, will likely set a threshold amount for imports to pass through an X-ray machine, likely for big-ticket items.

The Customs bureau was tagged as the “most corrupt government agency” in a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey of company executives released in late August.

The BoC Intelligence Group had earlier this year submitted a report to President Benigno S.C. Aquino III, detailing an alleged culture of corruption in the bureau wherein smugglers and port users pay “grease money” to certain personnel to hasten the release of their shipments.

The BoC has already started efforts to automate all its processes in a bid to fast-track shipment releases and remove windows for possible concessions between shippers and Customs employees.

Mr. Lina said the bureau is likewise looking to trim its current employment by half to 2,200, given that some clerical positions have been rendered redundant following the shift to digital processing.

A rotation involving around 150 Customs employees will also take place by December, the Customs chief added, as part of a regular practice in the agency. — Melissa Luz T. Lopez

Source: www.bworldonline.com