All shipments of tiles to the Philippines are now subjected to mandatory magna scale weighing before release from the custody of the Bureau of Customs (BOC).
In a memorandum dated March 12, Assessment and Operations Coordinating Group (AOCG) deputy commissioner Atty. Edward James Dy Buco said the policy is pursuant to Customs commissioner Isidro Lapeña’s directive during an executive committee (execom) meeting on March 5.
Magna scale is a system of weighing cargoes such as tiles and other break bulk and non-containerized shipments in which duties and taxes are assessed by weight.
Prior to the March 5 execom meeting, Lapeña in a press conference on the same date verbally directed all district collectors to subject all shipments of tiles to magna scale weighting after being told by a reporter that the weight of tiles is usually misdeclared as lower than the actual weight.
Lapeña said the directive is for importers to declare the correct value of their shipments of tiles.
Dy Buco, during the same press conference, said BOC is actually addressing the issue with tiles by requiring customs operations personnel to submit to assessment personnel the stowage plan of ships, as the plan indicates the correct weight of shipments.
He added that when in doubt about the declared weight of tile shipments, BOC also subjects the shipments to magna scale weighing. – Roumina Pablo
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