NASTF looks into reports of rampant smuggling in Cebu

The National Anti-Smuggling Task Force (NASTF) is looking into reports of alleged rampant smuggling at the Port of Cebu where shipments of smuggled rice from China, Thailand and Vietnam are said to be shipped and declared as general merchandise.

The reports said shipments of highly-dutiable goods are diverted to the Port of Cebu where their release from Customs is, more often than not, done on "face value." It means "Customs authorities at that port of swallow hook, line and sinker" what the importer or importers declare in the entry," the reports said.

The Port of Cebu, according to the reports reaching the NASTF from some Customs employees at the said port, is where some big-time smugglers operate with impunity by shipping into the country huge cargoes of banned and highly dutiable goods which are declared miscellaneous goods to cheat on taxes and duties.

Rice can be only imported with clearance from the Department of Agriculture and the National Food Authority. But despite the strict regulation, smuggled rice continues to enter the country under the guise of general merchandise, thus "hoodwinking" Customs authorities at the said port.

Big names in smuggling have surfaced in the said reports, adding that one of them brings into the said port 300 to 500 container vans a week containing banned items like rice and highly taxable items which are merely declared as general merchandise and miscellaneous goods and account for a much lower tax and duty.

"This is pure and simple technical smuggling," said a Customs middle-level official, who asked that the NASTF should look into the reports of alleged rampant smuggling at the Port of Cebu which is costing the government millions of pesos in lost revenues.

NASTF has been ordered by President Arroyo to stop smuggling in all its forms and to institute the much-needed reforms to plug tax leaks which is causing the government billions of pesos every year in lost revenues.