The latest version of the draft memo ordering the automation of air manifest procedures in the Philippines using value-added service providers (VASPs) was just released by the Bureau of Customs (BOC) and is awaiting industry comments.
The draft Customs Memorandum Order (CMO) prescribing provisions for electronic air manifest (e-manifest) will cover all airline manifests, including those submitted to BOC by airfreight forwarders and de-consolidators through the VASP facility at all international airports.
Under the proposed CMO, the electronic inward foreign manifests (e-IFMs) of airlines should be submitted to BOC at least one hour before an aircraft whose country of origin is in Asia arrives.
IFMs consist of all the master airway bills, while CCMs consists of all the house airway bills.
For ports of origin in North and South America, as well as other locations, the e-IFM must be submitted four hours before aircraft arrival.
As for the electronic Consolidation Cargo Manifest (e-CCM), submission cutoff time is the actual arrival of the aircraft.
Advance submission of the-CCM can be done if the e-IFM is already registered in BOC’s electronic-to-mobile (e2m) system.
Based on the time of submission, the Electronic Manifest System (EMS) will process and classify the e-IFMs under three time frames:
- On-time submission—before the cutoff time defined by BOC
- Late submission—after the cutoff time defined by BOC
- Noncompliant submission—submission after aircraft arrival
The BOC Management Information System and Technology Group (MISTG) earlier said it could not differentiate a late submission from a supplemental submission.
Now under the draft CMO, MISTG clarified that electronic supplemental e-IFM will be considered a noncompliant submission.
For late submissions, fines will be per e-IFM or e-CCM, and the number of offenses counted on a yearly basis. Charges will be P10,000 for the first offense, P20,000 for the second offense, and P30,000 for the third and subsequent offenses.
Noncompliant submissions will be fined P30,000 per e-IFM.
However, a late submission of an e-IFM or e-CCM that is due to BOC computer breakdowns, BOC e-IFM technical problems, or fortuitous events or force majeure, or similar reasons will not be penalized.
Cargoes not listed on the IFM shall be covered by a supplemental e-IFM to be submitted to the BOC through the VASP facility not later than four hours from date and time of discharge of the last package from the aircraft.
Hard copies of supplemental e-IFM must be submitted within six hours from aircraft arrival for unmanifested cargo; otherwise, the cargo will be considered unmanifested and subject to seizure proceedings.
Comments from stakeholders are being requested by BOC before the implementation of the CMO, to be announced through a memorandum by the MISTG deputy commissioner. – Roumina Pablo
Image courtesy of samuiblue / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
