BOC changes importer accreditation rules

Rappler.com

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The Bureau of Customs hopes these changes will stop corruption and smuggling

CHANGES. The Bureau of Customs has implemented changes to its accreditation process, as well as additional reforms. File Photo from AFP.

MANILA, Philippines – The Bureau of Customs (BOC) is implementing new rules for accrediting importers as part of systemic reforms in the agency.

In a public notice, the BOC wrote that accreditation of trading firms “shall be pre-evaluated for completeness” before the Interim Customs Accreditation and Registration (ICARE). This notice, along with other reforms, took effect on Saturday, February 1.

“Applicants are required to wait for the pre-evaluation process to be finished, otherwise, the application shall not be considered and ICARE shall not be accountable,” the notice continues.

It also reminds applicants to not follow up their applications unless an email notification hasn’t been received within 10 or 15 days, depending on the circumstances of the accreditation application.

The BOC is amending its accreditation procedures to stop officials and employees from helping suspected smugglers in exchange for bribes.

In a separate report, the BOC summoned Zamboanga Port District collector Enrico Turingan Jr. to explain allegations of smuggled rice entering major Mindanao locales. (READ: BOC probes Zamboanga port over rice smuggling)

Other tweaks

Aside from amendments to accreditation procedures, other changes are also being implemented, such as a centralized single reference for valuation information, a single dispute resolution process for valuation, and the digitization of all formal transactions.

The BOC is also reviewing its monitoring of customs bonded warehouses, and is further monitoring sensitive imports.

Adding to this, Commissioner John Sevilla is also bringing more transparency to BOC transactions. The BOC website will now list importations into the Philippines from December 2013 onwards to further public awareness. This includes what the BOC terms as consumption entries, warehousing entries, and transshipment entries.

The site will also feature information on the imports coming in, such as duties and taxes that need to be paid, the item or items being imported and where they came from, and the value of the imported goods. – Rappler.com

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