Philippine importers of excisable products must now apply for the Authority to Release Imported Goods (ATRIG) only with the head office of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), a new ruling that forms part of the agency’s centralized policy to ensure proper payment of duties and taxes but is feared to lead to a slowdown and backlog in processing.
BIR Revenue Memorandum Order (RMO) No. 1-2016 directs all applications for ATRIGs for excisable products “be processed and issued centrally at the BIR National Office, more particularly by the Excise LT Regulatory Division (ELTRD).”
The BIR’s main office is in Quezon City.
The order, dated January 6, took effect immediately.
“This order is issued to implement the centralized policy of processing and issuance of ATRIGs for purposes of ensuring that the importation of excisable products are fully accounted for with the end in view that revenue collections of the government are properly protected,” said BIR commissioner Kim Henares in RMO 1-2016.
“ATRIGs issued by the Regional Offices and Excise Tax Areas (EXTAs) upon the effectivity of this order shall be considered null and void,” the ruling added.
Moreover, all ATRIGs manually processed and issued by regional officers for transactions exempted from the value-added tax “shall be stamped with the phrase, ‘not valid for all excisable products.’”
Customs commissioner Alberto Lina disseminated the new ruling to Bureau of Customs officials through Customs Memorandum Order 7-2016 dated January 19.
Aduana Business Club, Inc. director Samson Gabisan, however, said the new ruling could “slow down trade facilitation in provincial ports (handling) goods that need ATRIG.”
“At the same time, (it will) add on volume at the (BIR) main office,” Gabisan told PortCalls. — Roumina Pablo
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