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Saturday, July 29, 2006
BOC chief asks exporters to give new law a chance
The newly appointed customs collector of the Port of Cebu assured exporters in the province that the Bureau of Customs (BOC) is willing to support the industry as long as they comply with legal requirements.
“We want to be able to support the export industry (which also imports raw materials),” Cebu District Collector Ricardo Belmonte told leaders of export organizations during a getting-to-know lunch at the Casino Español de Cebu yesterday.
He promised that the BOC will immediately release imports of exporters once they have complied with all regulatory requirements or permits.
“As much as possible, we want to minimize the delay of release of cargo. If we are holding on to your shipment, there must be a reason. I encourage you to do your regulatory requirements in advance to give no reason for the BOC to hold on to your imports,” Bel-monte told exporters.
“I am aware of the damage to exporters, such as delay in export delivery or worse, cancellation of orders, if your imported raw materials are not immediately released,” he said.
Belmonte said he has asked the head of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (Pdea) to send to competent people to Cebu to process and issue the necessary permits to concerned exporters in the province.
Furniture manufacturers need permits from Pdea to import coating and paints as these contain toluene, a chemical used in the production of shabu.
The Cebu Furniture Industries Foundation (CFIF) Inc. has been asking the Pdea to decentralize the issuance of permits and give its regional and provincial offices the authority to process applications and grant such documents. This would save exporting companies the cost of going to Manila to process Pdea requirements.
With regard to the Customs Brokers Act of 2004, Belmonte advised exporters to the law a chance.
“We can’t stop the Customs Brokers Act anymore. The best thing to do is to let it go, then (if there are problems, you can) raise (the need for) amendments to the law,” he said.
Exporters have been lobbying for amendments in the law, especially the provision that requires exporters to hire licensed brokers to process import papers, as this provision means additional cost to exporters.
In an interview, Confederation of Philippine Exporters (Philexport) Cebu vice president Jay Yuvallos said the exporters have no choice but to follow the law.
However, he said Bel-monte’s statement is a positive indication that he is open to discuss concerns of exporters.
For his part, CFIF president Michael Basubas said exporters in Cebu are now assured that the BOC, under Belmonte’s administration, fully understands the plight of the industry. (JBN)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (July 29, 2006 issue)
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