The Philippine Bureau of Customs’ accreditation unit, Account Management Office (AMO), is now back with the Intelligence Group (IG), a move the agency said is designed to facilitate secure trade and ensure only legitimate importers and customs brokers are accredited.
Customs Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon, through Customs Memorandum Order (CMO) No. 07-2017 signed January 27 and effective immediately, ordered AMO’s transfer from the Legal Service of the Revenue Collection Monitoring Group back to the direct supervision and control of the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service under IG.
But before he ordered the transfer of AMO to the Legal Service in September 2016, Faeldon had also placed the unit under the Office of the Commissioner (OCOM).
AMO’s move to OCOM followed reports that “unscrupulous AMO personnel have been using the threat of suspension or cancellation of accreditation of importer or broker, citing CMO 11-2014, to harass, intimidate, and extort from said importers and brokers.”
CMO No. 11-2014 contains the revised guidelines for registering importers and customs brokers with the BOC. Under the order, the accreditation of importers and brokers may be suspended or cancelled if the AMO discovers inaccuracy in documents submitted during the application process.
Recently, AMO has been listing the names of importers and customs brokers whose shipments have been seized, and who are under investigation, have been issued with a show cause order, are considered for suspension, or are prohibited from reactivating their accreditation. This is part of the agency’s measure to cleanse the agency of smugglers and erring traders. – Roumina Pablo
Image courtesy of jk1991 at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
