No special treatment in Customs express lanes — DA

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Agriculture (DA) maintained that there is no discrimination in the issuance of permits after it granted special express lanes to big companies, following the decision of the agency to cancel all agricultural import permits.

Agriculture Undersecretary for Operations Ariel Cayanan said there were about 40 big companies with over 100 import permits that had been granted green lanes at the Bureau of Customs (BoC).

“There’s no discrimination, it just so happened that this is organized. Somebody is vouching for them and they belong in a certain group. And if they deviate, they will be tendered or be taken out of the group,” Cayanan said in a chance interview.

“But, of course if you are an individual who will vouch for you?,” he said.

It was the Philippine Association of Meat Processors Inc. (PAMPI), the country’s largest group of meat processing companies, that first requested for an express lane, saying delays in the release of meat imports may raise the prices of meat products especially this coming holidays.

Cayanan clarified it was not only PAMPI that was granted special lanes, but other big companies that were deemed compliant.

“It’s not only for PAMPI. We also have San Miguel, Nestle, among others. We do not penalize those that are complying, we’re only after those who are not complying,” he said.

He emphasized there has been non-compliant importers since the issuance of the DA directive.

“I could not reveal it right now because I do not want anybody to telegraph the punches I’ll be throwing,” Cayanan said.

The DA has already issued an order that will facilitate the immediate release of highly perishable items.

DA recognizes the import permits of live items, chilled items, dairy products, fresh fruits, vegetables and flowers except onions and garlic, hatching eggs, live plants and orchids, and veterinary and nutritional products.

Importers of these items may directly process their documents at the respective quarantine offices of the port and will no longer need to appear at the DA Central Office.