BoC, Marina ink pact to curb offshore smuggling

By: Jess V. Antiporda
THE Bureau of Customs and the Maritime Industry Authority yesterday signed a memorandum of agreement aimed at curbing the reported rampant offshore smuggling by foreign merchant vessels.

In the MOA signed by BoC commissioner Napoleon Boy Morales and Marina administrator Vicente T. Suazo Jr., Marina won’t register imported ships and vessels without BOC notification and clearance.

Both agencies also agreed that Marina will no longer allow renew the registration of merchant vessel unless the customs bureau has certified that they have paid the proper taxes and duties.

Morales pointed out that with the agreement, the BoC can now collect the correct duties and taxes from these vessels, which usually unload the shipments of their consignees offshore to avoid paying the levies due them.

These cargo vessels need to have a certificate of conversion issued by the Customs distsrict collector attesting that they passed a customs house and paid the proper duties and taxes. Only then will Marina register the ship.

All foreign cargo ships previously registered with Marina will also be subjected to post-entry audit of the customs bureau to determine if they pay correct duties and taxes.

Under the agreement, Marina will also open its registration datababase to the certificate of conversion central clearing (5C), a special central unit composed of officers of the BoC that will process and clear all of the certificates of conversion from the Bureau’s district ports before they are transmitted to Marina.