Customs taps PCCI experts

The Bureau of Customs (Boc) is strengthening its capability to curb technical smuggling by employing the services of industry commodity experts from the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), who will help in the determination of transaction value of imported goods for purposes of arriving at the correct levy.

Customs Commissioner George Jereos said that the PCCI commodity experts are up-dated on the current world market price of every imported item from agricultural to industrial products, aiding Customs personnel evaluate the transaction value of arriving imported items.

The PCCI commodity experts have been fielded at the major district ports in Manila and in the provinces. Jereos said they are all experts in their respective areas of assignment insofar as the world market price of imported commodities is concerned.

"The PCCI commodity experts will help Customs personnel assess the value of an imported items based on the current world market price to arrived at the correct taxes and duties to be imposed thereby preventing the loss of government revenues," Jereos said.

The fielding of PCCI commodity experts at the major ports is one of the safeguard measures adopted by the bureau to help stem the tide of technical smuggling, which has caused the government billions of pesos in lost revenues yearly.

Jereos also said that the fielding of PCCI commodity experts will help strengthen the bureau’s alert system by providing the necessary information of undervalued arriving shipments of imported cargoes.