The Bureau of Customs (BOC) and Department of Agriculture (DA) are eyeing ways to better monitor perishable imports, according to BOC deputy commissioner for Assessment and Operations Atty. Agaton Teodoro Uvero.
In an interview with media on August 19, Uvero said comparisons between import statistics and DA data reveal misdeclaration of agricultural imports mainly because there is no mechanism for full examination of refrigerated shipments.
Uvero said the BOC can only do spot checking of perishables due to the absence of cold storage facilities in ports and terminals, noting full inspection could lead to spoilage and contamination.
BOC cannot also hold on to reefer containers for long as these incur higher storage fees compared to dry boxes.
Uvero said BOC is in talks with DA, which issues import permits for agricultural shipments, on a system where reefer containers can be examined within storage facilities accredited by the agriculture agency.
The plan is for customs representatives to go to DA-accredited cold storage warehouses to conduct post-import checking. Conducting inspections in cold storage warehouses or the manufacturer’s warehouse is less costly than doing this in BOC warehouses or terminals with no cold storage facilities, he said.
Asked if BOC should have cold storage facilities at ports, Uvero said “there should be”, noting such a plan has been on the drawing board for some time. For now though, the plan is on the backburner with collaboration with the DA having gained greater currency.
Local media is rife with reports of smuggled perishables, the most recent of which have been carrots, to the detriment of local producers. – Roumina Pablo
