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Bureau of Customs assistant commissioner Atty. Vincent Philip Maronilla assured importers that accreditation is already reflected as valid for three years in their system
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BOC is still working to adjust its system and the Certificate of Accreditation currently generated may still show just a one-year validity
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BOC will issue new Certificates of Accreditation reflecting the three-year validity once the system has been reconfigured
Bureau of Customs (BOC) assistant commissioner Atty. Vincent Philip Maronilla assured importers that accreditation is already reflected as valid for three years in their system although reconfiguration has yet to be completed.
The issue stems from the release of Certificates of Accreditation that still show just a one-year validity.
“That’s a matter of… appearance in the certification but in the system, three years ‘yun,” Maronilla said during the recent 2nd Stakeholders’ Summit of the United Portusers Confederation of the Philippines.
He added that new certificates reflecting the three-year validity will be issued once the system has been fully reconfigured.
READ: 3-year importer accreditation takes effect under new BOC rules
He noted that they continue to release un-updated certificates because there are importers that require this in their application for permits from other government regulatory agencies.
BOC last April through Customs Administrative Order (CAO) No. 01-2026 has extended importers’ accreditation validity to three years from one year.
The new CAO amends certain provisions of as well as adds new ones to CAO No. 07-2022, which provides guidelines for importers’ accreditation.
CAO No. 01-2026 revises requirements for first-time applicants, expounding on the list of principal officers and responsible officers, and adding the Affidavit of Undertaking to submit annual reportorial compliance, and report of change of business circumstance.
READ: BOC streamlining AMO system for importers, customs brokers
With the extension, the fee for new application and renewal will be P5,000 for the three-year period from the current P2,000 per year.
BOC also now requires the accredited importer to submit an Annual Reportorial Compliance (ARC) within 30 days from its accreditation anniversary date, containing the summary of all updated business documents or information within the year, including the fact of compliance under Section 8.4 (reporting of changes in business information) of CAO No. 07-2022.
In case there are no changes in business information within that period, the accredited importer should indicate the same in the ARC.
The new CAO still allows automatic renewal of accreditation, but requirements for such have been revised.
Importers who are holders of a valid Certificate of Accreditation will now be eligible to apply for automatic renewal if, at the time of application, they belong to any of the following categories:
- The importer has maintained continuous accreditation for six consecutive years immediately preceding the renewal of its accreditation and with no history of suspension, revocation, or cancellation; or
- The importer is an Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) or a Super Green Lane (SGL) accredited importer.
Previously, the automatic renewal of accreditation did not have a required period or membership to trade facilitation programs such as AEO and SGL, although it required the importer to not have outstanding liabilities nor any pending case or investigation with BOC, and has not been issued a warrant seizure and detention against their shipments.— Roumina Pablo
