BOC: Smuggling in RP neutralized

Customs Commissioner Napoleon Morales said yesterday smuggling has been "neutralized" through new preventive and legal measures as shown by the P196-billion tax collection of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) this year.

The Customs chief stressed the agency is expected to meet its assigned target today as a result of the year-long anti-smuggling campaign, which covers a new accreditation system for importers and successive filing of criminal cases against suspected smugglers.

"Because of our successful anti-smuggling program, we are expected not only to surpass our target collection this year," he said.

"We were able to collect the taxes and fines that would have been lost to smugglers through our intensified raid and seizure operations."

Lawyer Reynaldo Umali, Customs Legal Services (CLS) chief, said the tough screening of importers has contributed to the agency’s anti-smuggling drive and to revenue enhancement.

"This is our first stage control," he said.

"We prevent smuggling at the earlier possible opportunity, which is the accreditation of importers. It is in this stage when smugglers try to pass through the bureau either by creating dummy companies or by submitting fake documents."

Umali said under the new system being implemented by Customs Accreditation Secretariat, records of importers are counterchecked with the Bureau of Internal Revenue, Department of Trade and Industry and local government units through an "online access" before they are allowed to transact business with BOC.

The tight screening process of importers has "limited the world of smugglers" as it prevented accreditation of unscrupulous companies that could be involved in smuggling operations, he added.

Umali, also Run After The Smuggler (RATS) executive director, said the number of accredited importers dropped from 16,000 last year to just 8,883 as of Dec. 12.

"We suspect that the rest did not renew their accreditation for fear of prosecution," he said. "Perhaps they are afraid that illegal activities might be discovered."

Umali said since the screening of importers was transferred to the CLS from the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Services last March, a total of 121 applications for accreditation have been disapproved.