BOC agrees to treaty to modernize Customs rules

MANILA, Philippines - Bureau of Customs (BOC) Commissioner Napoleon Morales, representing the Philippine government, acceded to the Revised Kyoto Convention (RKC) last week in Brussels, Belgium, making the Philippines the first country in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in its roster.

The RKC covers the Revised International Convention on the Simplification and Harmonization of Customs Procedures.

Morales, on June 25, deposited with the World Customs Organization (WCO) the Philippines’ instrument of accession that was signed by the President and ratified by the Senate.

In a statement, the BOC said by acceding to the RKC, it means that the Philippines would conform to the provisions of the convention and that transacting with the public would be more efficient and transparent. The bureau would also promise to lower the cost of clearing Customs. 

In a previous interview, BOC Deputy Commissioner Reynaldo Nicolas said the WCO would give the country three months to start initiating chances in its Customs system that would be in accordance to the convention’s guidelines.

Nicolas said they need to update the 30-year-old Tariffs and Customs Code of the Philippines (TCCP) to conform with global practices.

“Congress will have to either amend it or pass a Customs and Tariff Modernization Act (CTMA), which we already have drafted after the consultation with the stakeholders,” Nicolas had said.