NGO to lead protest rally versus MIAA

The Save Our Skies (SOS) movement, a non-governmental organization at the forefront of the campaign for fair trade and just skies, will lead a protest rally against the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) for unjustly collecting fees from cargo forwarders and customs brokers.

The SOS, whose members include cargo forwarders, brokers and travel and tour operators, has taken the cudgels for the affected businessmen after the MIAA continued to ignore their appeal for it to reconsider its order imposing a so-called accreditation fee on entities or persons doing business inside the airport complex.

The imposition of accreditation fees is contained in MIAA memorandum circular No. 7 dated Feb. 27, 2002. It will start to be implemented, as per a MIAA memorandum dated April 2, 2004, on May 17, 2004.

Robert Lim Joseph, SOS president, met recently with the affected cargo forwarders and brokers, who expressed strong opposition to the memo circular as the implementation of added charges would affect their business’ viability.

"The SOS is not only concerned with the air transport sector but also with anything that has to do with freight forwarding and export and import," he said.

Joseph said the SOS would spearhead the protest action "after the cargo forwarders’ and brokers’ complaints continue to fall on deaf ears."

"They (MIAA officials) do not even answer the letters being sent by the affected businessmen nor talk with their representatives," he pointed out.

Besides the SOS, joining the rally are the Federation of Accredited Customs Brokers and Forwarders of the Philippines (FACFOB), Professional Customs Brokers Association of the Philippines (PCBAP), Air Cargo Forwarders of the Philippines and Port Users Confederation Association.

In an interview, businessman Honorato Colico, chairman of PCBAP and director of the Port Users Confederation Association, said they are already accredited by the Bureau of Customs and have complied with all security and safety requirements and paid the necessary fees.

"What the MIAA would want to impose is actually a concessionaire fee, which is already being paid by the owner or operator of the warehouse inside the airport complex. When brokers and forwarders started questioning the imposition of a concessionaire fee, MIAA replaced the term with ‘accreditation fee," Colico said.

He clarified that brokers and forwarders just release or deliver shipment to the warehouse and satisfy documentary and procedural requirements of the Bureau of Customs on behalf of their clients. "The owner or operator of the warehouse is actually the concessionaire inside the MIAA complex and pays it (MIAA) a concessionaire fee, not us," Colico said.

Based on the MIAA memo circular, the authority will impose an accreditation fee of P6,500 annually on each broker, cargo forwarder or on-board courier.