All Philippine importers and customs brokers with I-CARE (Interim Customs Accreditation Registration Unit) accreditation that will expire between March 1 and May 31 this year will be allowed automatic extension until the end of May, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) said.
The extension was granted in a Feb. 26 memorandum issued by Customs Commissioner John Philip Sevilla to the head of the BOC’s Account Management Office (AMO), all district and sub-port collectors, as well as deputy commissioners.
The memorandum, with the subject “Transition Policies and Guidelines for the Implementation of Customs Memorandum Order No. 04-2014,” intends to prevent disruption in customs operations and ensure the orderly accreditation of importers and customs brokers pertaining to this CMO.
In the interim, importers and brokers concerned will have to secure their Importer Clearance Certificate (ICC) and Broker Clearance Certificate (BCC) from the Bureau of Internal Revenue pursuant to Revenue Memorandum Order 10-2014, Sevilla said.
After obtaining their ICC and BCC, importers and brokers can apply for approval of their accreditation from the AMO under CMO 04-2014.
CMO 04-2014 spells out the policies, guidelines and procedures for the accreditation of importers and customs brokers with the BOC pursuant to Department of Finance Department Order No. 12-2014.
DO No. 12-2014, recently issued by Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, requires all importers and customs brokers to secure BIR as well as BOC accreditation before they can transact with the BOC. The order is meant to ensure only accredited importers and brokers can clear imports with the BOC to curb rampant smuggling.
