The Philippine Bureau of Customs (BOC) has extended its working hours at major ports to accommodate the increase in volume traffic.
In a public announcement, BOC said it has implemented since January 16 a 12-hour working schedule (7 a.m. to 7 p.m.) at the ports of Batangas, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Davao, Manila, and Manila International Container Port (MICP) to “catch up with the increase in trade volume” in these big ports.
Meanwhile, a 24/7 operation, including on Saturdays and Sundays, is now fully set up in the ports of Subic, Clark, and Limay.
“This extension of working hours has been implemented in order for the said ports to serve their stakeholders efficiently. This is also expected to ease the traffic in the areas mentioned,” BOC said.
To streamline collection efforts, BOC has also coordinated with accredited banks for them to accept and facilitate payments even beyond the usual banking hours.
Stakeholders may now avail themselves of the services of these banks in making 24/7 payments to BOC: Asia United Bank, Deutsche Bank, RCBC, and Security Bank.
BPI will be extending to 7 p.m. its processing of payments to BOC.
“This move aims to assist stakeholders who, by any circumstance, cannot process their payments during regular work hours,” BOC noted.
In October last year, Customs Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon ordered through Customs Memorandum Order (CMO) No. 224-2016 the return of regular work hours to 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Mondays to Fridays, in all BOC offices.
CMO 24-2016 revokes inconsistent issuances and CMO No. 33-2015, the order that implemented a 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. office scheme and shifting work hours for BOC offices.
Also last year, then customs commissioner Alberto Lina said the Philippine Clearing House Corporation (PCHC) and several banks agreed to BOC’s request to extend banking hours 24/7 to accommodate stakeholders’ payments of customs duties and taxes.
Bankers Association of the Philippines (BAP), representing authorized agent banks (AABs), accepted the obligation to collect customs duties and taxes and the responsibility to remit all of these collections to the government treasury.
The support was formalized in an agreement signed by the BAP and BOC, indicating that BAP would adopt and implement Project Abstract Secure 5 to enable the 24/7 host-to-host interface of banks and BOC’s Online Release System. – Roumina Pablo
