MEMBERS of the Chamber of Customs Brokers, Inc (CCBI) may go on strike to protest the turtle-paced and chaotic implementation of the importers’ accreditation process by the Bureau of Customs (BOC).
The only accredited professional organization under Republic Act 9280 or the Customs Brokers Act, CCBI stressed the strike will only be a last-ditch effort in case nothing is done to hasten accreditation at Interim Customs Accreditation and Registration (ICARE).
ICARE, which took the place of the Customs Accreditation Secretariat in August, continues to have limited staff to attend to accreditation and renewal applications by the country’s thousands of importers. The application backlog is said to reach back two months.
“We will continue to pursue diplomatic means but if we are not successful, we will stage a strike,” a CCBI official, who requested anonymity, told PortCalls.
“The ICARE process has really caused so much trouble for both brokers and importers.”
Those with expired and expiring accreditations are at a loss how to do business without fresh accreditation, the source added.
CCBI, ICARE and BOC officials have met twice to remedy the situation but no agreement has so far been reached. Another meeting has been set soon where CCBI is expected to present a new position paper.
ICARE is tasked to purge bogus companies from the master list of accredited importers and brokers. It can cancel, revoke, and suspend accreditation of importers, on its own or upon the request of other BOC officers.
