Customs, PEZA to strengthen collaboration

The Bureau of Customs (BOC) and the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) have further strengthened their partnership toward making government services more efficient to attract more investors in the country.

The two agencies signed yesterday a memorandum of agreement (MOA) to beef up their collaborative partnership, including plans for automation.

Under the agreement, BOC and PEZA will automate their operations governing inter-zone transfers and “bring-in and bringout” of goods to or from the PEZA economic zones, including local sales, disposal of goods in the domestic territory, and transfer of goods to other economic zones and freeports administered by other authorities.

Both agencies will also review the effectiveness and efficiency of the current automated systems covered by existing joint memorandum orders as well as adopt more advanced policies and technologies, and other best practices to enhance customs’ facilitation and movement of goods of economic zone enterprises.

“Our import and export and trading activities are very big deal to our investors that is why it is really needed that we show them the reforms, efficiency and credibility for our investors to have a renewed trust and confidence,” PEZA director general Charito Plaza said.

“With this MOA, we hope to make efficient, faster and more honest and credible transactions and services which BOC and PEZA will undertake for our port users and investors. This is one way to attract more investors, for them to have trust and confidence in our government,” Plaza added.

The BOC and PEZA are set to undertake a comparative study between the Philippine special economic zones’ operational procedures on the movement of goods and the counterpart special economic zones abroad in hopes of generating ways and means to make the local regulatory environment as good or even better that those in the region.

Both agencies have likewise committed to jointly promulgate and issue implementing rules and regulations on the transit of goods admitted into, exported from, withdrawn into customs territory, and moved between PEZA economic zones.

“We will also introduce reforms in our systems and procedures, combine our modernization programs so that services in our ports will be more effective and efficient,” Plaza said.

The new agreement is part of a MOA between BOC and PEZA in 2001 in which both agencies committed to jointly undertake programs to simplify and make more convenient compliance with regulations and doing business at the PEZA economic zones.