The Bureau of Customs (BOC) will hold a whole-day seminar on August 19 on basic customs procedures, rules, and regulations to help importers and exporters transact with the agency without having to engage the services of a customs brokerage.
In an August 11 letter to invited participants, Customs Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon said the seminar with the theme “Learn to Handle Your Own Shipments” aims to educate personnel of importers and exporters on customs clearance processes “so as to empower stakeholders on these matters.”
He added this activity will also “enable importers and exporters to handle on their own incoming or outgoing shipments without the need of engaging the services of a customs broker, thus, giving them flexibility concerning customs transactions.”
The customs chief further noted “it is our belief that as partners for change and good governance, we must share the responsibility in improving services and adherence to our laws,” adding that the seminar provides the ideal opportunity to exchange ideas on this.
Even before officially assuming the post of custom chief, Faeldon had already signified his plan to make customs brokerage services optional, noting that “some unscrupulous brokers are using their services to smuggle commodities (into) the country.”
READ: Use of customs broker services should be optional—WCO
Under the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act, engaging the services of customs brokers is mandatory for the first two years of the law’s effectivity, after which it becomes optional. The implementing rules and regulation (IRR) of the new law has yet to be issued, but BOC’s mother agency, Department of Finance, has called for a consultative meeting on the IRR on the third week of August.
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