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The Bureau of Customs assured members of the Philippine Interisland Shipping Association that it will address longstanding concerns on the issuance of alert orders against domestic shipments in Manila North Harbor
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BOC deputy commissioner for Assessment and Operations Coordinating Group Atty. Agaton Teodoro Uvero said the bureau is well aware of the matter and promised it will be raised at the next BOC executive committee meeting
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PISA and its member organization Philippine Liner Shipping Association have for years been raising their concerns on the procedures and requirements by the BOC subport of North Harbor, the only BOC office in a domestic port
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There are currently about 70 containers of various shipping lines that are being held at Manila North Harbor, with some already being there for around 2,000 days
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PISA will be submitting to BOC a clarification on its policies and recommendations for domestic shipments
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The PLSA head said removal of the subport of North Harbor would be the better option
The Bureau of Customs (BOC) assured members of the Philippine Interisland Shipping Association (PISA) that it will address longstanding concerns over alert orders being issued against domestic shipments at Manila North Harbor.
BOC deputy commissioner for Assessment and Operations Coordinating Group Atty. Agaton Teodoro Uvero made the assurance during PISA’s Kapihan Forum on June 17, saying the bureau is well aware of the issue and will raise it at the next BOC executive committee meeting as a policy matter. He also noted that Customs commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno is aware of the concerns of domestic shipping lines with the subport of North Harbor — the only BOC office operating within a domestic port.
BOC Port Operations Service Director Atty. Melon Carlo Santiago, also present at the forum, said he has already taken up the matter with the collector of the subport of North Harbor.
PISA and its member organization Philippine Liner Shipping Association (PLSA) have for years been raising their concerns on the procedures and requirements by the BOC subport of North Harbor.
Alert orders are written orders issued by customs officers as authorized by the Commissioner on the basis of derogatory information regarding possible noncompliance with customs and tariff rules. It leads to the suspension of the processing of the goods declaration, and the conduct of physical or nonintrusive inspection of the goods within 48 hours from issuance of the order, or within 24 hours in the case of perishable goods.
If there is derogatory information on domestic shipments, Uvero pointed out that “it should be an intelligence and enforcement issue rather than an assessment and operations issue.” He added that if there is an intervention by BOC on domestic items, it should be through a letter of authority (LOA) issued by the commissioner.
Treated like an import
According to PLSA, the issuances are random and are not based on derogatory information, but are always issued against northbound shipments, a lot of which are agricultural products from the southern part of the country.
“It’s a domestic port and we feel that it should not be treated like an international port wherein there’s spot checks, which should not be allowed kasi nga it’s already domestic,” PLSA president Mark Matthew Parco told PortCalls in an interview after the event.
Parco said if there is a derogatory report against a domestic shipment, the legal way is for the issuance of a LOA so they can do an inspection.
“But to do a regular spot check is to treat it like it’s an import,” Parco said.
Moreover, the subport of North Harbor would require the shipping lines and shippers to prove that their cargoes that are being held are not imported, which is difficult to do because they are not covered by any customs policy and there are no guidelines for them to follow, Parco explained.
“It’s very difficult for domestic shippers because they’re not prepared for that kind of documentation, to show that it is local, because it’s not really required. There’s no law that requires you to have that piece of paper,” Parco said.
He noted there are currently about 70 containers of various shipping lines that are being held at Manila North Harbor, with some already being there for around 2,000 days.
He said these containers are already incurring high storage charges, which shippers, especially small and medium ones, can no longer pay for, and will therefore result in abandonment.
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PLSA executive director Rona Gatdula, during the same event, said while their member carriers recognize BOC’s mandate on border protection, there should be a clear policy covering alert/hold orders on domestic cargoes to ensure that procedures are done properly and with guidance.
Parco said PISA will be submitting to BOC a clarification on its policies and recommendations for the handling of domestic shipments.
He added, though, that removal of the subport of North Harbor would be the better option.— Roumina Pablo
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