Comply or cargo stays, Cebu Customs warns shippers

Bureau of Customs (BoC) at the Port of Cebu has urged importers to comply with the Client Profile Registration System (CPRS) if they want to see their cargo shipment released, the Manila Bulletin reported.

District Collector Ronnie Silvestre earlier in the week briefed BoC stakeholders, importers, brokers and agents about the new electronic-to-mobile (e2m) clearance procedures.

He said he was dismayed upon learning from the Management Information System and Technical Group that of the 200 importers, only 100 are compliant.

Implementation of the new procedure is expected to facilitate clearance of imported goods and minimize face-to-face contacts between importers or their brokers and customs personnel, with the aim of eradicating graft and corruption.

The new system is also designed to be used as a tool against smuggling because importers can no longer use fictitious names and addresses when importing goods.

"If an importer encodes false data into the e2m Customs system, the electronic machine will not accept it, so that no processing of importation documents will happen," Silvestre said.

According to Silvestre, the problem now lies with importers who have ignored the announcement of the BoC to register as early as last year.

Silvestre explained that the e2m law was signed by President Arroyo in 2005 and it was only this week that this was fully implemented for the Port of Cebu, subport of Mactan, and the ports of Tacloban, Davao, Cagayan de Oro and Iloilo cities.

It was implemented since last year at the Port of Manila, Manila International Container Port and other ports in Luzon. 
 
(Source: Cargo News Asia)