Modernization of BOC makes it among the world's best

A top official of the Bureau of Customs said on Saturday that the Philippine Customs office will soon be at par with the best Customs offices of the world through its continuing computerization program and acquisition of modern equipment, systems and technology.

Lawyer Gallant D. Soriano, officer-in-charge in the Office of the Deputy Customs Commissioner for Administration, said with these innovations, the program “nothing moves in Customs without being captured by the computers” shall have been achieved.

Speaking to newsmen here, the youngest son of the late Rep. Jack Soriano, also former mayor of San Carlos City, said this will be achieved through the second phase of BoC’s computerization program called the Automated Systems Customs Data (ASYCUDA) to be completed in January next year.

Soriano said the project was bankrolled by P500 million from President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s e-Governance fund.

Completion of the project, said Soriano, will be a big boon to BoC which shall become “paper-less, queue-less and “cash-less” as exporters and importers will all pay customs duties through the banks.

The project, which is just a continuation of BoC’s computerization launched from 1994 to 1999 that had already become obsolete, aims to “fully computerize and automate the systems in the Customs,” said Soriano, a former councilor of San Carlos City and law professor at the University of Pangasinan.

The first phase of the project, which Soriano said had already “outlived its usefulness”, was covered by the Philippine Tax Computerization Program that was jointly undertaken by the BoC and the Bureau of Internal Revenue, funded by a US$ 35 million World Bank grant.

Phase 2 of the computerization program, launched almost seven years after Phase 1, aims to cover both imports and exports.

“The program behind our second computerization program is: Nothing moves in Customs without being captured by our computers” is but a part our vision to make the people more accessible to BoC," he said.
The program gives the people easier access to BoC “anytime, anywhere and using any device”, Soriano explained.

He said the technology can also enable people to reach BoC by texting using the SMS (short messages service) through their mobile phones.

Using the SMS, one can request from BoC for verification as to where his shipment is, his payment of customs duties, including the latter's of entry.

At the same time, Soriano admitted he is the one in charge of BoC’s Non-Intrusive Container Inspection System Project (NICISP), using the 10 scanner equipment acquired through a concessional loan from China, payable in 20 years at two per cent interest per annum with five years grace period.

Two of the equipment will be installed at the Port of Manila, two others at the Manila International Container Port and one each at Subic, Batangas, Cagayan de Oro, Zamboanga and Davao ports.
President Arroyo is set to inaugurate on Oct. 10 the five equipment, now being assembled for commissioning before they are made fully operational.

“It is non-intrusive in the sense that containers will no longer be opened or brought down for physical inspection,” Soriano explained.

He said under this system, if a truck carrying a container passes through, the highly sensitive x-ray with a penetration capacity of 470 millimeters, can capture the images even what’s inside the engine block of the vehicle that is inside the container van.

The images are color-coded: red when it’s a bomb, blue when it’s firearm, green when it’s contraband and yellow when the container is cleared of any illegal shipment.

Soriano said the modern gadgets at the BoC ensure computerization of all aspects of the agency's operations but just like what the BoC officials told the Senate when they were defending the project, these require less human intervention, less face-to-face transaction with the client and less opportunity for the personnel to commit graft and corruption.

Soriano admitted that all these equipment could minimize graft and corruption but “we can’t say this can be entirely eradicated”.

These projects, he added, will ensure the collection of more customs duties as no truck carrying container vans moves from the ports without payment of proper import fees.

Soriano also announced that the BoC’s ASEAN single- window processing now in effect by the agency seeks to minimize red tape for the benefit of exporters and importers.

He explained that under the project, which is being undertaken by all ASEAN countries, an exporter or importer can already secure his needed permit and documents all at the same time from a single window at the BoC. (PNA)