THE Bureau of Customs on Monday blamed the Philippine Ports Authority, Asian Terminals Inc. and the International Container Terminal Services Inc. for the delays in the release of imported shipments that resulted in the poor revenue collection of the bureau.
The customs revenue collection fell short by 5 percent of target in September to P33.951 billion against the goal of P35.79 billion. However, the September collection is four percent higher compared to the P32.651 billion collected on the same period of 2015.
Customs Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon junked the general notion that delays in the release of cargoes or shipments point to the bureau alone, saying PPA, ATI, and ICTSI were in charge of port operation, cargo handling and tracking, and port development.
In a meeting with importers, Faeldon said that it was from these entities that contributed to transaction delays which deprive the bureau of the much-needed revenue.
“Only 6 percent of the importation process is under the control of Customs, and the rest are controlled by other regulatory offices. Customs is only responsible with the assessment and collection of revenue, cargo inspection and clearance, and border protection,” he said.
He said the public needs to know that the BoC doesn’t have the authority to regulate goods that enter the port.
“If the required documents and permits are submitted, he said, BoC is obliged to release shipments,” Faeldon said.
In pointing the poor revenue collection, Faeldon blamed the shipment capacity of ICTSI and ATI, which cause delays in the transaction of commodities, saying the ATI can release only one shipment per day, while ICTSI can only cover a maximum of six shipments in a day.
He said these are not controlled by the bureau, since the PPA oversees port operations of the two private entities.
“Customs was also given limited working space, thus constraining the area for inspection,” he said, as he plans to discuss the current problem with concerned agencies.
The customs chief also wants demurrage to be removed, but claims the Customs has no power and control over PPA.
“The demurrage and other penalties due to delay in loading or unloading of shipments may only be removed through an Executive Order,” Faeldon said.
He likewise proposed a National Single Window system where the 54 regulatory offices that facilitate trade will work into one window system.
“Unfortunately, there is no law that requires these offices to participate in the proposed system. How can I force them to participate now if there is no law that requires them to?” he said.