SKELETAL FORCE. Bureau of Customs - Port of Cebu Acting District Collector Charlito Martin Mendoza orders the opening of customs services on August 21, 2019 (Ninoy Aquino Day) and August 26, 2019 (National Heroes Day) in three key customs offices to continue the processing of import entries and payment of customs duties and taxes through a skeletal force. This measure, Mendoza said, was put in place to achieve the PHP3.011 billion collection target for the month of August amid several holidays. (File photo by John Rey Saavedra)
CEBU CITY -- The Bureau of Customs - Port of Cebu announced on Monday that the processing of import entries, as well as payments of customs duties and taxes, will be accepted on August 21 and 26 despite being legal holidays.
Lawyer Charlito Martin Mendoza, acting district collector of BOC-Cebu, said on Tuesday that customs operations in three key offices would be open on August 21 and 26 to cater to importers and brokers who want to process the release of their goods despite the holidays.
BOC-Cebu will open the Entry Processing Unit (EPU) where entry lodgment of imported goods are filed, the Assessment Division (AD) where payment of customs duties and taxes are made, and the Port Operations Division (POD) where the release of goods from the Cebu International Port are done, Mendoza said.
The Land Bank of the Philippines - BOC branch has agreed with BOC-Cebu to open a teller during the two holidays to accept payments for customs duties and taxes from consignees, he added.
“All stakeholders are advised to process their shipments on the said dates,” the BOC-Cebu said in a post on its official Facebook page.
Earlier, BOC-Cebu Cash Division chief Conrado Abarintos said they should work hard to achieve the PHP3.011 billion assigned target for the month of August, which is known among investors as a “ghost month”.
However, Mendoza said that aside from the “ghost month”, the challenge of BOC-Cebu are the holidays of the month – the 450th founding anniversary of the province of Cebu last August 5 which is a local holiday; Eid al Adha last August 11, Ninoy Aquino Day on August 21; and National Heroes Day on August 26.
“In July, we have 23 working days, but for August we only have 18 working days. Traditionally and historically, it really affects the collection effort of the port,” Mendoza told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) in an interview.
“But this notwithstanding, we are doing our best to address our concerns. We have decided to assign skeletal force in the EPU, Assessment Division and POD on these coming holidays so that the importers or their brokers can continue processing and pay the duties and taxes,” he added.
The collector also said that the new system under the National Value Verification System (NVVS) that has just been implemented by Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero is seen to boost BOC-Cebu’s revenue collection efforts. (PNA)
