AN agency will soon issue a decision regarding the status of a customs brokers’ group after a splinter organization earlier disputed the former’s government accreditation.

An official of the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) said Monday that the body has given both groups—the Chamber of Customs Brokers Inc. (CCBI) and the Professional Customs Brokers Association of the Philippines Inc. (PCBAPI), which questioned the former’s accreditation—until February 28 to submit their written arguments regarding the issue.

“There will be no more hearing. This is for resolution already,” the official said, indicating that a decision may already be issued by March.

During the hearing at the PRC office in January, CCBI maintained that it still is the government-accredited group until next year. “Otherwise, the PRC would not schedule and rule on such petition if and when the CCBI accreditation has indeed lapsed,” a CCBI representative said.

“The mere fact that PRC decided to hear the case is a clear demonstration that CCBI is still the accredited professional organization under RA 9280 [Customs Brokers Act], contrary to the claim of PCBAPI that our accreditation has lapsed and was not renewed,” the group added.

Earlier, the CCBI cited a ruling from the Philippine Association of Professional Regulatory Board Members Inc., the body deputized by the PRC to receive and evaluate documents submitted by various professional organizations for government accreditation. According to the body, the next cycle of re-accreditation would be during 2010-2012, and every three years thereafter. The next renewal cycle shall commence September 1, 2009, until December 31, 2009, and every three years thereafter, which means CCBI will work on its re-accreditation by next year.

“…CCBI is therefore not required to renew its accreditation for the calendarized three-year cycle 2007-2010 as it is automatically re-accredited for the period. This means that the automatic re-accreditation of CCBI expires on December 31, 2009. Renewal is covered by the next renewal cycle September 1, 2009, until December 31, 2009,” according to the group’s letter dated January 28, which it sent to the offices of the Bureau of Customs.

An accredited group formulates programs to develop capacities and skills of its members/practitioners. The group is authorized to collect fees from members to fund its programs.

Last year, three brokers groups have already questioned CCBI’s status, asserting that the latter failed to renew their accreditation with the PRC after it expired in 2006. These groups were PCBAPI, National Customs Brokerage Association of the Philippines and the Visayas-Mindanao Customs Brokers Association.

CCBI was first accredited in 2004 by the Professional Regulatory Board for Customs Brokers, which was later approved by the PRC chair. Its accreditation was good for three years.

Oil-tanker operators gird for legal battle against crude levy collection

COMPANIES which own and/or manage oil tankers are girding for a protracted legal battle to oppose a law requiring operators to contribute P0.10 per liter of fuel transported within Philippine waters.

AN agency will soon issue a decision regarding the status of a customs brokers’ group after a splinter organization earlier disputed the former’s government accreditation.

LONDON—The cost of shipping Middle East crude to Asia, the world’s busiest supertanker route, may gain for a fifth day on reduced ship supply in the Atlantic and speculation about rising demand from companies such as Taiwan Maritime Transport Co. (TMT).

LONDON—The Baltic Dry Index, a measure of shipping costs for commodities, advanced to a one-month high and may rise further on speculation that demand for ships will accelerate as coal-supply backlogs are cleared.

MELBOURNE—Rio Tinto Group, the world’s third-largest mining company, will resume loading iron ore onto ships in Western Australia Tuesday after a cyclone forced the closure of ports and brought hurricane-force winds.