The Bureau of Customs said Wednesday it expects to generate P1 billion from the sale of overstaying cargoes in different ports.
“We have overstaying cargoes that have been idly sitting on the ports. In the Port of Manila alone there are cargoes that can translate into P300 million in revenues. Importers and brokers need to stop using our ports as warehouses,” said Customs commissioner Alberto Lina.
Lina said the agency was expecting P1 billion in revenues to be generated from public auction of the idle cargoes.
The agency issued a memorandum early this year, directing all ports to review overstaying cargoes for possible auction in line with efforts to boost revenues and decongest port areas, following applicable laws under the Tariff and Customs Code of the Philippines.
Customs said it was expecting about P150 million from the auction of overstaying cargoes in the Port of Subic and another P462.6 million from the auction sale in Manila International Container Port.
Data showed the auction monitoring unit of the Bureau of Customs accounted for P345.625 million in revenue collection from auction sales in the first four months.
“Overstaying cargoes are those that have either been seized or abandoned. Seized cargoes are those that have been issued an alert order and consequently a warrant of seizure and detention for violation of the TCCP, such as misdeclaration or undervaluation,” the agency said.
Abandoned cargoes are expressly abandoned by the consignee by writing to the collector of Customs who has jurisdiction over the cargoes that he or she is abandoning his cargoes.
“Cargoes are impliedly abandoned, when the owner, importer, consignee or interested party after due notice, fails to file an entry within thirty days, which shall not be extendible, from the date of discharge of the last package from the vessel or aircraft, or having filed such an entry, fails to claim his importation within fifteen days, which shall not likewise be extendible, from the date of posting of the notice to claim such importation,” the order stated.
Lina earlier told reporters the agency planned to clear the ports from overstaying cargoes before the start of the new administration.
“Hopefully we are praying that we clear it until the end of June this year,” Lina said.