THE Bureau of Customs (BoC) ordered on Monday the removal of customs personnel from exit-gate inspection functions, citing their redundancy with systems employed by port operators.

Personnel with the Pier and Inspection Division (PID) and customs police of Enforcement and Security Services (ESS) are no longer authorized to check gate passes at the terminal gates, effective immediately.

The bureau said before shipments come out of the Customs zone, the documents will have already been checked by privately-run port operators.

Customs Commissioner Isidro S. Lapeña said the decision will improve customs processes consistent with the bureau’s mandate to improve trade facilitation.

“What they actually do is redundant, because port operators already have a working system to check the entry and exit of containers. If the trucks are given the go-signal to leave the terminals, then we have to release them from the ports at once,” Mr. Lapeña said in a statement.

Mr. Lapeña conducted a walk-through inspection at the Manila International Container Port (MICP) on Monday.

“Before this new directive came in, gatekeepers prevent shipments with no gate pass to leave the customs zone. Aside from cargo, gatekeepers check among others, the container number and registry number of the carrying vessel,” the statement read.

“However, port operators are already equipped with barcode scanning systems (which contain) shipment details of containers already marked for release, which the gatekeepers manually check,” it added.

Mr. Lapeña said the BoC is currently in talks with port operators to fully implement the automated system in the terminals.

“They have been long clamoring that port operations be at par with other countries in terms of automation. They have been asking the bureau to do away with manual and redundant processes,” he said.

“I am also hearing negative feedback as to the alleged conspiracy among PID gatekeepers and ESS guards before cargoes are released at the gates. This has to stop immediately,” he added.

According to the BoC, the policy will be enforced in four pilot areas — the Ports of Manila and Batangas, the Port of Subic and MICP. — Elijah Joseph C. Tubayan

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