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Case against
Customs Brokers Act Imminent
The task force working against the full implementation
of Republic Act 9280 or the Customs Brokers
Act of 2004 said it is ready to file a case
to repeal the imposition of the legislation.
In addition, affected freight forwarding and
brokerage companies are also set to file on
August 23, 2004 parallel cases in various courts
nationwide, said Philippine International Seafreight
Forwarders Association president Erich Lingad.
"A lot of companies have already expressed
their support. And by August 23, the filing
of cases will be left and right," he noted.
Earlier, the task force stressed certain provisions
of the law are unconstitutional and violates
due process.
Specifically, the group is against the provision
prohibiting corporate practice of customs brokerage.
This, it said, will lead to the closure of customs
brokerage divisions in logistics companies,
rendering thousands jobless.
The clamor to file a case against RA 9280 intensified
following the circulation of an undated "Notice
to All Brokers" from the Bureau of Customs
(BOC) signed by Manila International Container
Port District Collector Reynaldo Nicolas, which
effectively ceases the issuance of accreditation
certificates to brokers and brokerage firms.
The BOC said the directive was in compliance
with RA 9280's Section 19 or the Issuance of
the Certificate of Registration and Professional
Identification Card, and Section 29 or the Prohibition
Against Corporate Practice.
"In order to address the vacuum caused
by the enactment of the said law, all pending
applications for accreditation of customs brokers
in this port shall be approved until 28 May
2004 or until further notice from the Office
of the Commissioner," the notice stated.
A member of the task force commented that such
directive stands as concrete ground for a writ
of mandamus. "The law is not even considered
effective yet that is why we are lobbying for
it to be repealed. And now, here is the BOC
imposing something that is not right,"
he pointed out.
The task force, in preparation for the parallel
filing of cases, held a meeting yesterday with
the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry
to discuss further action on the matter.
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Aboitiz
One Sees 15% Revenue Hike with New Service
ABOITIZ
ONE, INC. said it is expecting revenues to increase
15% or an additional P350 million this year
with the introduction of the "1-3-6"
consolidation service or D136.
The D136 is a cargo delivery service that "promises
on-time delivery within one, three or six days
through a multi-modal transport system".
It integrates services of Aboitiz Express, Zoom-In
Package and Container Freight Service with Aboitiz
One's own package services.
In a press briefing, Aboitiz One president and
chief executive officer Sabin Aboitiz said the
company is also hoping to double revenues from
P350 million to P700 million in two years.
With the new service, he said the company will
be investing around P10 million for the upgrade
of its computer systems and another P30 million
for the construction of modular warehouses nationwide.
Aboitiz said D136 would simplify payment of
various bills and eliminate waiting for cargo
loading.
"Before this, the process at the ports
was very complicated. The integration of all
these services aims to eliminate all the hazards
the customers undergo at the pier, including
payment of various fees such as arrastre, stevedoring
and others," he said.
Aboitiz noted the new service will also utilize
the roll-on/roll-off (ro-ro) transport system
of the government. "Instead of using containers,
for the three and six-day deliveries, we will
ship consolidated cargoes bound for a specific
destination via ro-ro," he explained.
Aboitiz One chief operating officer Efren Uy
said this way, customers will be assured of
freshness of products and on-time delivery,
as well as reduced service rates.
He added the company will intensify the promotion
of the D136 service by offering discounts and
promos.
"We will make it like a supermarket. We
will give special discounts for a day or for
a specific season. For instance, rates for peak
hours will be different from non-peak hours,"
he said.
Aboitiz said they have also implemented a new
pricing scheme that allows a uniform rate in
each major areas of the country. The uniform
rate for next-day delivery is a minimum of P275
for the first five kilos. Add-on rates, however,
vary: for Luzon, P20; and Visayas and Mindanao,
P30.
Additional fees include a 1% valuation, 10%
value-added tax and P1 for the first P1,000
declared value and P10 for P1,001 and above
declared value in documentary stamps.
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June
Exports Up 8.2%
THE
National Statistics Office reports that export
receipts in June jumped 8.2% to US$3.313 billion
over last year's $3.060 billion. The growth
was attributed to the cyclical upturn in world
demand for electronics.
This, in turn, saw higher orders for Philippine
electronics exports ñ 68.7% of total
exports - mainly from its top markets: Japan,
United States, and Hong Kong.
Nevertheless, the Semiconductors and Electronics
Industries of the Philippines Inc. views this
growth as less than ideal, as industry players
were expecting higher-than-average growth in
June. This expectation is supported by the historically
higher growth this time of the year as well
as the recorded achievements of other countries.
Thailand and Taiwan's merchandise exports were
up 29% and 24.5%, respectively, in June while
Singapore's went up 20.9% not counting its oil
exports.
Also, June export earnings, like in the earlier
months, were said to be affected by the weakening
prospects in the garments industry whose quota
system is set to be phased out next year.
Meantime, with cumulative exports in the first
half of the year expanding only 8.5% to $18.73
billion, government's 10% whole-year export
growth target will be hard to reach unless double-digit
growths are posted for the rest of the year.
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