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The Bureau of Customs will issue a regulation containing new procedures that the Accounts Management Office has been implementing to streamline importer accreditation and customs broker registration
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The new regulation will also lower documentary requirements for importers
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A separate regulation will also be issued within the year containing the form and contents for the Annual Reportorial Compliance, a new requirement for importers accreditation
The Bureau of Customs (BOC) will issue a regulation containing new procedures that the Accounts Management Office (AMO) has been implementing to streamline importer accreditation and customs broker registration since the unit has been transferred to the Post Clearance Audit Group (PCAG).
The draft regulation is currently under review and will institutionalize the streamlined process flow for evaluating and approving new and renewal applications, AMO executive officer and PCAG Compliance Assessment Office-Audit Division 2 chief Atty. Melvin Joseph Banzon said in a presentation during the recent joint BOC-PortCalls seminar on New Rules Under AMO.
Banzon said the new regulation will also lower documentary requirements for importers.
In particular, the requirement for proof of financial capacity or the bank certificate will be removed, pursuant to the directive of Customs commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno during a previous meeting with stakeholders.
Aside from this, a separate regulation will also be issued within the year containing the form and contents for the Annual Reportorial Compliance (ARC), a new requirement for importers accreditation under Customs Administrative Order (CAO) No. 01-2026, which amends the rules for importers accreditation under CAO No. 07-2022.
Since being transferred to PCAG last June, AMO adopted an internal digital evaluation and approval process, and has removed redundant steps such as pre-checking to streamline its process.
READ: BOC’s AMO implements streamlined procedures, personnel changes
A dedicated evaluation lane for the top 1,000 importers and members of the Super Green Lane and Authorized Economic Operator Program was also established.
The duties and responsibilities of accredited importers and customs brokers are now printed at the back of the Certificate of Accreditation and Certificate of Registration, respectively.
To fast track importers’ application for renewal of accreditation, AMO now allows importers to just submit four essential requirements–application form, Certificate of No Change in Business Information or Certificate of Change in Business Information if there is a change, processing fee receipt, and Client Profile Registration System (CPRS) and updated notification of “stored” status–as well as an affidavit of undertaking that they will submit within 30 days the five other requirements for renewal of accreditation.
Banzon said AMO will then tag the application as subject to post-evaluation, which will grant importers provisional accreditation, subject to the submission of the five other follow-up requirements. If the five other requirements are not submitted within 30 days as stated in the affidavit of undertaking, accreditation will be suspended.
This new post-evaluation system is also being implemented for customs brokers’ application for renewal, allowing them to submit six essential requirements and be granted provisional registration, provided they submit an affidavit of undertaking that they will submit within 30 days the four other requirements for the renewal of registration.
In response to requests from customs brokers groups, AMO also now allows customs brokers to submit either the Certificate of Good Standing from the Philippine Chamber of Customs Brokers, Inc. or the Certificate of Good Standing from the Professional Regulatory Board for Customs Brokers, instead of both, according to AMO acting chief Atty. Christopher Dy Buco during the same seminar.
To handle more applications, AMO is also training more evaluators to add to the current 15. Banzon noted that based on their estimates, they receive an average of 175 to 200 applications per day.
AMO also dedicated staff to handle the activation of CPRS for those with approved accreditation/registration. CPRS is needed to allow importers/customs brokers to transact with BOC.
Banzon explained that activation of the CPRS uses a separate system, which is BOC’s Electronic-to-Mobile System (E2M). Since the E2M System is already very old, and with BOC prioritizing revenue generation, Banzon said most of the day or from 9am to 5pm, the E2M System’s bandwidth is focused on processing import entries/goods declaration while miscellaneous tasks, such as CPRS activation, can be done from 5 p.m. onwards.
New system
Banzon noted BOC is procuring a new system that will combine the current application and approval system with that of the activation system, so that CPRS can automatically be activated once the application has been approved.
AMO also created a direct line and appointed focal persons for the collection districts of Port of Manila and Manila International Container Port for accreditation matters.
Banzon said they have also started stakeholders’ seminars on AMO’s new procedures.
Aside from these, AMO has been implementing the extension in the validity of importers’ accreditation and customs brokers’ registration, and the policy changes under CAO No. 01-2026.
READ: Business groups welcome BOC importer accreditation policy
From January to June 2026, AMO has processed 7,110 importers applications, which consists of 769 new applications, 4,448 renewal, 1,764 with three-year accreditation validity, and 129 regular importers. The three-year importer accreditation validity under CAO No. 01-2026 was implemented on May 6.
For customs brokers, AMO from January to June 2026 has approved 1,443 applications, which included 246 new applications, 1,124 renewal, and 73 with three-year registration validity. The three-year validity of customs broker registration under CAO No. 05-2019 took effect on June 1.
Since AMO was transferred to PCAG on June 8 up to June 30, it approved 1,440 importers applications and 152 customs brokers applications.
For July 1-30, 1,427 importers applications were approved, including 125 new importers, 1,294 for renewal, and eight non-regular importers. For customs brokers, there were 29 new applications and 223 renewals for a total of 252 approved applications.
BOC last June transferred the AMO from the Intelligence Group (IG) to PCAG, with its direct supervision and control under the director of PCAG’s Trade Information and Risk Analysis Office (TIRAO).
Last July, BOC moved the supervision, control, and administrative authority of AMO from TIRAO to the office of the assistant commissioner for PCAG.
The transfer to PCAG is temporary and AMO will eventually be transferred to the BOC Assessment and Operations Coordinating Group, according to Nepomuceno. —Roumina Pablo
