DOF urged to grant amnesty to importers

The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) and the Employers' Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) are urging the Department of Finance (DOF) to offer an amnesty to importers.

ECOP president Donald Dee said the government could raise about P2 billion through customs amnesty to erring importers who failed to settle their tax and duty obligations.

It is also expected to help bring down, if n ot arrest the corruption practice in the Bureau of Customs, Dee said.

"Unlike the Bureau of Internal Revenue, the BOC has never declared amnesty," Dee said.

Dee said that since the government has terminated the services of SGS, the graft has become an inherent part of the Bureau. "Now that we do not have an independent or third party valuation, it is becoming a source of graft."

For his part, PCCI Chairman Sergio Ortiz-Luis Jr. said the sentiment of the other businessmen have never been that low on BOC.

"The foreign chambers' perception on the Customs bureau is not very good now. There is a proliferation of smuggled goods in the country. What's the point of setting up a plant when they have to compete with goods that don't pay tariffs," Ortiz-Luis said.

He added that a customs amnesty will be both beneficial to the Bureau and the businessmen as well.

According to Ortiz-Luis, one measure which the government can institute is to ban the entry of balikbayan boxes through courier services.