BOC TAPS BROKERS’ GROUP AGAINST SMUGGLERS

CUSTOMS Commissioner Isidro Lapeña signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with the Chamber of Customs Brokers, Inc. (CCBI) on Tuesday to strengthen cooperation and further enhance trade facilitation and boost revenue collection as corruption continues to hound the Bureau of Customs (BOC). The MoA provides that a member of the CCBI will stand as representative of the importer, owner or its customs broker or authorized representative during the conduct of the physical examination of goods under exceptional circumstances such as, but not limited to, when the importer, owner or its customs broker or representative is absent or cannot be located. Under the signed agreement, CCBI experts or personnel will only act as witnesses in the conduct of physical examinations as representatives of the importer, owner or its customs brokers. The CCBI member’s opinion or statement will not be used to cause the delay in the processing of any shipment. Lapena stressed that alert orders are issued to verify the derogatory report received by the BOC. Alerted shipments with no irregularities will be immediately released while those with verified violations will be held accountable and will be penalized by the law. “This move will compel importers especially those smugglers to comply with what is proper and declare the correct valuation so the government will have its rightful revenue,” said Lapena. The CCBI, with more than 3,000 members, is the national organization of customs brokers and duly accredited by Philippine Regulation Commission (PRC). At the height of the congressional investigation on P6.4 billion shabu shipment from China, the CCBI clarified that Mark Taguba, who facilitated the entry of the illegal shipment, was not a customs broker and not a member of the customs broker profession.