The Bureau of Customs (BOC) is eyeing several measures not just only to cushion the impact of enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in Luzon to stakeholders but also to further hasten the release of regular shipments under provisional goods declaration.
Customs Assistant Commissioner and spokesman Vincent Philip C. Maronilla on Thursday said the bureau is working on an agreement with other regulatory agencies like Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Department of Agriculture to allow the release of regular shipments under provisional goods declaration while some necessary permits are still pending.
While the practice of using provisional goods declaration for regular shipments is allowed under the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act, he said it is not highly utilized yet, he pointed out.
“Like for example, di ka pwedeng magprovisional goods declaration kung wala kang FDA [permit] because that’s food and safety. Now we’re thinking about, I’m not saying we are going to, we are thinking about extending it to some that has LTOs [licenses to operate] already but wala pang mga CPRs [certificates of product registration] na baka pwede na [to possibly] irelease namin but with an undertaking that huwag nilang ibibigay sa [that they won’t give it yet to the] general public yan hanggang hindi nila nasesecure ang [until they could be able to secure their] FDA permit,” Maronilla said in a phone interview with the BusinessMirror.
“Kumbaga lagay muna nila sa warehouse nila, wag muna nila irerelease sa publiko hanggat hindi sila nakakuha ng necessary permits at babantayan sila ng mga ahensya na ito [We may impose on them to place the shipments in their warehouse until all necessary permits are secured],” he added.
Under Customs Memorandum Order 07-2020, which took effect on March 16, lodgment of provisional goods declaration may be allowed if no regulatory permit, clearance or license has been presented at the time of lodgment, provided that the importer has filed his application for such permit, clearance of license, prior to, or after the arrival of the goods into the Philippines, depending on the policy of the concerned regulatory agency.
In cases where the permit, license or clearance may be secured after the arrival of the shipment, provisional goods declaration may be allowed provided that the period to submit the document shall be in line with the requirement of the regulatory agency.
It is also allowed if the Tax Exemption Endorsement from the Department of Finance, or the Tax Exempt Certificate or Authority to Release Imported Goods from the Bureau of Internal Revenue has not been issued yet, provided an application has already been filed at the time of lodgment.
Moreover, lodgment of provisional goods declaration may also be allowed in any other situation where the declarant lacks certain information, or documents, to make a complete goods declaration, provided it is not due to their declarant’s negligence, or fault, and provided further that the mandatory information and documents are present.
Aside from this, Maronilla said Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero wants to talk to private stakeholders to request relief on demurrage, storage and warehouse charges for the importers, amid the enhanced community quarantine imposed in Luzon to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
The BOC said it has successfully processed 156 shipments and 38 containers of personal protective equipment and medical supplies despite limited work force since the declaration of the state of public health emergency.
The said goods were processed through the various Luzon ports such as the Manila International Container Port, Port of Clark and Port of Ninoy Aquino International Airport.