Solons want Customs to bare list of importers and brokers

CEBU - Deputy Speaker and Cebu City north district Rep. Raul del Mar and members of the Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability have filed a bill mandating the Bureau of Customs to publish a list of their accredited importers and brokers to safeguard the public and protect legitimate businessmen.

House Bill 5069, authored by Del Mar and Rep. Pedro P. Romualdo of the Lone District of Camiguin and members of the Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability, proposes that the list should be published in a newspaper of general circulation as well as posted in the agency’s website.

Under the bill, the BOC should also include in the publication the basis or method it uses in determining the accreditation criteria for importers and brokers.

The initial cost of publication should be shouldered by the Department of Finance from its present budget, but the cost of succeeding publications should be chargeable against the fund collected from the application and renewal fees of the importers and brokers.

The intention of the bill, according to the lawmakers is to ensure that the public and legitimate businessmen will deal only with the accredited importers and brokers of the BOC in their transactions.

“With this measure, the government can collect the proper taxes and fees that the country badly needs,” Del Mar said.

Del Mar said the measure will discourage the proliferation of fictitious importers and brokers, since legitimate businessmen will no longer patronize importers and brokers not included in the list of the BOC.

The Secretary of Finance, in coordination with the Commissioner of the BOC, is tasked to promulgate the implementing rules and regulations. — Garry B. Lao/BRP (THE FREEMAN)