THE Philippine Bureau of Customs (BOC) is proposing graduated fees for the use of global positioning system-equipped seals.
The fee is the only hurdle in the imposition of the Customs Electronic Global Positioning System Equipped Barrier Seal Service Provider project. The use of the seal will allow BOC to track cargo in transit from the port of discharge to its final destination, and for the Philippine National Police to respond to hijacking incidents.
Under the revised proposal, BOC is targeting implementation by September.
For cargoes transported within a 20-kilometer radius from Manila ports or those not going beyond Epifanio Delos Santos Avenue (EDSA), Manila’s main thoroughfare, PortCalls sources said BOC is eyeing a P700 per twenty-footer fee paid to the accredited GPS provider. Those traveling beyond will be charged P1,500 per container.
A P2,200 per container fee is proposed for cargoes going through the North and South Luzon Expressways.
Previously, the BOC eyed a fixed fee of P2,250 regardless of distance and frequency of use, a proposal opposed by the Port Users Confederation (PUC).
PUC, the umbrella organization of all national transport associations, wanted the fee to at least equal the P300 per twenty-footer underguarding fee (General Transportation Surety Bond).
Customs deputy commissioner Gregorio Chavez said he expects most port stakeholders will agree to the graduated scheme.
The GPS seal service provider will likely be Société Generale de Surveillance.
PortCalls sources claimed an initial review of the Swiss company’s bid documents showed it offered a better bid than another Swiss company Cotecna and Philippine firm TIM Corp.
