Broker's
license renewal now being processed
THE law division of the Manila International
Container Port (MICP) is now processing applications
for the renewal of customs broker licenses for
2005. The chief of the law division has been ordered
to do so by MICP district collector Atty. Felipe
Bartolome in a memo dated December 17, 2004.
The memo follows Customs Memorandum
Order (CMO) 39-2004, issued December 10 by Customs
Commissioner George Jereos, which deferred the
implementation of Republic Act (RA) 9280 or the
Customs Brokers Act. The CMO said the status quo
was in effect pending approval of the law's implementing
rules and regulations by the Department of Finance.
RA 9280 has caused much confusion
in the port and logistics industry. The law, among
others, disallows corporations from the practice
of customs brokerage, a privilege which it accords
only to customs brokers. This has led shippers,
represented by the Port Users Confederation (PUC),
to mount a massive drive to stop the law's implementation.
As of this writing, the Professional
Regulation Commission has agreed to defer provisions
deemed questionable by shippers, although still
in question is the deferment period. PUC wants
two years while customs brokers, represented by
the Chamber of Customs Brokers, Inc., wants six
months.
Meanwhile, in a separate memo written
by Atty. Bartolome also dated December 17, he
directed the chief of the MICP Liquidation &
Billing Division to approve customs brokers' applications
for clearance related to the renewal of their
licenses for 2005 even if their corporate clients
have outstanding and unpaid accounts with the
Bureau of Customs.
Bartolome said his office has "received
information that previous applications for clearance
by these brokers have been denied since their
importer/clients have unpaid accounts arising
from additional assessment on their past importations.
"The Bureau has an effective
recourse on the matter since we can always apply
the provision of the Tariff and Customs Code of
the Philippines, as amended, more particularly
Section 1508 thereof wherein release of ship-ments
of importers with delinquent accounts may be held
until settlement of said accountability."
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Nothing final on
NOL sale of Lorenzo shares
NO definitive sale and purchase
agreement has been concluded and signed between
Singapore's Neptune Orient Lines Ltd. (NOL) and
National Marine Corp. (NMC) regarding the divestment
of theformer's stake in cargo shipping firm Lorenzo
Shipping Corp. (LSC).
In a recent disclosure to the Philippine
Stock Exchange (PSE), LSC clarified that negotiations
are still ongoing between NOL and NMC with respect
to the terms and conditions of the proposed transaction.
"As of the date of this letter,
no definitive sale and purchase agreement has
been concluded and signed by and between NOL and
NMC yet," the shipping firm said.
The Singapore-owned NOL currently
owns 28.69% of outstanding common stock of LSC
and 82.19% of LSC's redeemable preferred shares.
NOL likewise has two nominees in the cargo firm's
board of directors.
Late last month, a memorandum of
understanding was signed by NOL with NMC. Both
shipping firms are still finalizing the terms
of the divestment plan, LSC noted. No financial
details were also disclosed.
Listed company LSC has a wide interisland
coverage - Cebu, Davao, General Santos, Cotabato,
Iloilo, Cagayan de Oro, Manila, Zamboanga, Dumaguete
and Bacolod.
NMC, a joint venture between Magsaysay
Maritime Corp. and Fenwick Shipping Services Limited,
has extensive interisland and near-sea operations
in petroleum tinkering and barging, LPG sea transport,
container shipping and ship agency.
Its vessels include two petroleum
tankers, a LPG carrier, 19 tanker-barges and four
containerships.
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CWT Globelink holds regional
meet
THE CWT Globelink Group recently
conducted its yearly regional meeting in Colombo,
Sri Lanka. In attendance were its member agents
worldwide, including Mercury Freight International,
Inc. (MFII).
MFII, the exclusive Philippine
agent of the group for a decade now, was represented
by Bayani C. Coching, President; April Coching-Lim,
Vice President-Marketing; and Josie Mendoza, Documentation
Manager.
Coching said: "As one of the
pioneer members Cwt Globelink Network and founder
of Global Logistic Alliance (GLA), we meet as
one family every year and discuss what the group
has achieved based on the designed plans for the
current year and what additional goals to aim
for despite immerse factors around the globe.
That, I believe, is the key factor
why the network continues to grow despite the
global economic difficulties."
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