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Thursday, January 19, 2006
Cebu exporters helped strengthen peso: BOC
By Elias O. Baquero
Sun.Star Staff Reporter
An official of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) Port of Cebu yesterday said the appreciation of the value of peso against the US dollar should not only be attributed to the remittances of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) but also to the contributions of Cebu exporters.
Collector Paul Alcazaren, chief of the Port of Cebu Custom Bonded Warehouse Division (CBWD), said warehouse operators who are also exporters are very optimistic in pouring in additional investments because they can compete with prices at the world market as a result of their exemptions from paying duties and taxes for raw materials.
Records
Alcazaren said their records revealed that the volume of exports in 2005 totaled 5,504,359,541 kilos, valued at US$1,867,088,419.
This record, Alcazaren said, is for Cebu mainland only and does not include yet the exports from the firms located at the Mactan Export Processing Zone (MEZ).
“Among others, the dollar remittances of the overseas banks, as a result of the sale of exports of our finished products, have greatly helped to strengthen our peso value vis-à-vis the US dollar, which now stand at P52.453, considered the strongest among the Asian currencies at present,” he added.
Alcazaren, who was the deputy collector for MEZ operations at the Port of Mactan prior to his designation as CBWD chief, said the exporters’ confidence in the BOC has grown in the past years due to the faithful implementation of trade facilitation and the adoption of a customs-friendly attitude, which resulted in the prompt delivery of raw materials and export products.
Employment
Alcazaren was transferred from MEZ to CBWD in 2003. At present, Alcazaren is supervising 44 customs bonded warehouses, which directly employ about 20,000 people, thus, reducing the unemployment rate.
With only 15 personnel at CBWD, Alcazaren was able to collect P135,776,996.72 in 2003; P162,686,025 in 2004; and P189,933,388 in 2005. He noted that the 2004 actual collections is higher by P26.9 million as against the 2003 collections.
The 2005 collections is also higher by P27.2 million compared to figures in 2004.
Alcazaren added that with the brighter economic climate ahead and given the proper support and assistance by the management, there is no reason for his office to fail in its mission to serve the public faithfully and promptly and, at the same time, collect more for the government.
Target
“While the job of the chief of a certain division in the bureau is a tough one, having to deal with the pressure of hitting the target collection, if not, exceeding it (is) a responsibility that needs a lot of patience, perseverance and determination,” Alcazaren also said.
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (January 19, 2006 issue)
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