RP, Thai Customs
agree on single-window transaction system
THE Philippine Bureau of Customs (BOC)
last week inked an agreement with Thailand customs officials
adopting the Asean Single Window Transaction system.
The agreement will commit the two countries to interconnect
and interchange data in accordance with the Association
of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Single Window Transaction
scheme. The memorandum was signed last week during the
meeting of Asean Directors-General of Customs held in
the country. "If the Asean Single Window succeeds
between Thailand and the Philippine Bureau of Customs,
then Indonesia will follow and so on. Then we will have
a single economic entity comparative to other economic
unions and we are aiming to do this by 2010," Customs
commissioner Alexander Arevalo said. The single-window
system will link all government agencies to customs
offices. Importers no longer need to secure documentation
for their imports and exports from one government agency
to another. The traditional method required traders
to secure voluminous documents. Shipments take weeks
before they are released. Under the plan, all transactions
will be done via computers or mobile phones; person-to-person
business deals will be reduced, in the process cutting
down graft and corruption. The scheme is designed to
speed up disposition of shipments to improve its operations
in line with the trade liberalization program as mandated
by the World Trade Organization. With the implementation
of the single window, Asean members can equally compete
with neighboring Asian giants such as China, Japan,
and South Korea in terms of trade facilitation, Arevalo
said. Last month, the Asean agreed to fully implement
the single-window scheme in clearing shipments through
paperless transactions from different customs zones
of its 10-member countries.
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ATI
sees 77% hike in net profit from Jan-Sept
ASIAN TERMINALS INC. (ATI) posted a 77% increase in
its net profit for the first nine months of the year
on account of stronger revenues and cost-reduction initiatives.
For the period, ATI registered P431.3 million in consolidated
net income, up P187 million from P244.3 million recorded
over the same period last year. It saw a 3% increase
in consolidated container volume to 650,378 TEUs for
the first nine months, pushing revenue growth by 15%
to P3 billion from P2.6 billion over the same period
in 2004. ATI's third-quarter revenues grew P213 million
from P867 million to P1.08 billion compared to last
year's, while net income went up P100.8 million from
P71.8 to P172.6 million. "The strategic combination
of services that ATI offers and our focus on increasing
operating efficiencies has made 2005 a good year thus
far. We expect to sustain our momentum towards the end
of the year as we continue to modernize our facilities
and add more value to our services," according
to Jeremy Rickcord, ATI president and chief executive
officer.
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PAL
cuts fuel surcharge for international cargo
PHILIPPINE AIRLINES
(PAL) will reduce its fuel surcharge for international
cargo by $0.05 per kilogram starting today, November
21, following a similar rollback for the domestic passenger
segment last week. PAL said cargo from Manila, Cebu,
Davao and General Santos City bound for the US, Canada
and Korea will now be subject to a fuel surcharge of
$0.50 per kilogram, down from $0.55 per kilogram, as
the benchmark Fuel Price Index (FPI) fell for the third
week in a row. The FPI, which is an average of the five
most important spot markets in the world, fell from
377 index points last October 21 to 347 points on October
28, to 334 points on November 4, and finally, to 319
points as of November 11. Airlines calculate their cargo
fuel-surcharge rates based on movements in the FPI.
On November 17, PAL also lowered its passenger fuel
surcharge by P100 per round-trip domestic flight. Three
interna-tional cargo carriers formally informed the
Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) that they will cut their
fuel surcharge later this month. Lufthansa Cargo AG
said it will decrease fuel surcharge effective November
28 to 0.50 euro per kilo of cargo from 0.55 euro. Cargolux
will cut cargo fees by about $0.05 per kilo for cargoes
bound for the US, Europe, and the Middle East. Eva Airways
will lower fuel charges for cargoes later this month.
Aside from the three carriers, the CAB expects 15 other
cargo carriers to cut fuel charges anytime this week.
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MICT,
Trans-Asia Shipping Lines are Phil Web Awards finalists
THE web sites of International Container
Terminal Services Inc's Manila International Container
Terminal (www.mictweb.com) and Cebu-based Trans-Asia
Shipping Lines, Inc. (www.,transsiashipping.com) have
reached the finals (Corporate category) of the 8th Philippine
Web Awards (PWA), an award-giving body that honors outstanding
Filipino talent and creativity in web design and development.
The Philippine Web Awards (PWA) is closely patterned
after the US-based Webby Awards and annually honors
the best Filipino-created Web sites and the individuals
and teams behind them. Web site entries are rated based
on four criteria: Content, Design, Usability and Functionality.
www.mictweb.com: There is only one way to describe this
web site: it gives you an overwhelming feeling of being
transported directly to the very heart of modern port
operations. You can actually download electronic copies
of MICT port procedures and requirements and port tariff
(in PDF format both of which are well-written in very
simple, straightforward language) - a "must have"
for the average port user. Another winning feature is
a process flow illustration of MICT vessel operations,
import and export cycle, CFS import and export, and
payment of port charges. Finally, there is MICT iBox
- an e-commerce facility wherein registered users (companies
or individuals) obtain online information about cargoes,
vessel schedule, statement of account, and compute and
actually pay bills online. MICTWeb is developed and
maintained by the ICTSI MIS Department headed by MIS
Manager Catherine Orellano. Cebu-based shipping line
www.transasiashipping.com: This web site brings to life
what would normally be static corporate information
home page by integrating highly appealing content of
its travel destinations. Cebu-based Trans-Asia Shipping
Lines demonstrates home-grown ease and familiarity of
its passenger and cargo transport routes in the Visayas-Mindanao
area by featuring detailed tourist and travel information
of its regular transport destinations side by side with
daily vessel schedules. According to Vice President
for Marketing & Sales Services Sheila Fay "Pinky"
U. Sy, the company envisioned introducing Trans-Asia
Shipping Lines to the public through the web site, giving
management an opportunity to share corporate values
and allow customers to discover the endless possibilities
on how Trans-Asia can be a reliable and valuable partner
in their travel and business needs." She added,
"At their fingertips, the general public will now
have Trans-Asia's current rates and schedules and will
always be constantly informed of any upcoming promotions
and latest updates. By focusing on Quality Cus-tomer
Service as Trans-Asia's core and strength, this knowledge
and experience can now be shared to others and not limited
to our growing clientele base." Uy said the management
and staff are happy that their efforts in making the
web site as informative and useful as possible is being
recognized by the award-giving body. It also encourages
them to introduce more innovative ideas to further enhance
the web site's value. She disclosed there are plans
to upgrade and enhance the site. "Our monthly Newsletter
On Subscription is getting raves and our subscribers'
base continues to grow. This alone drives us monthly
to provide exciting and latest updates the public will
want to know. We plan to include more tourism-related
information to help promote local travel and provide
travelers with quick and important tips. Online trading
as well as online reservations and booking are also
not far in the offing." The web site is developed
and maintained by Wilmer Olano of Cebu Interactive Design,
a design company dedicated to provide total interactive
solutions to meet the needs of a variety of clients.
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Cebu
Pacific's refleeting program gets pioneer status
THE Board of Investments (BOI) last
week approved for pioneer status the registration of
Cebu Pacific Air's (CEB) P21.146-billion refleeting
program, entitling it to a six-year income-tax holiday
beginning January 2007. BOI said it decided to give
the project pioneer status since it would involve the
phase-out of all of CEB's fleet to be replaced by an
entirely new fleet of 14 aircraft, mostly A320s. It
added that the refleeting was treated as a single project,
pegging the date of reckoning for the income-tax holiday
once all aircraft are delivered by January 2007. CEB
would take delivery of six aircraft this year, another
six next year and two more in 2007. It already received
two Airbus 320s for lease. Early last month, one A319
was delivered and another one scheduled this Sunday.
Two more will arrive in December. The company said it
would double its net income this year to up to P400
million compared with last year following the acquisition
of new low-cost aircraft. The refleeting program will
make the company's fleet the youngest in the Philippines
and one of the youngest in the region. CEB is replacing
all its 12 DC-9s, with aircraft whose ages range from
25 to 27 years.
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Taiwanese
investors to get more perks in Clark, Subic
THE Department of Trade and Industry
(DTI) is scheduled to sign a memorandum of agreement
(MOA) that would automatically qualify Taiwanese companies
located in Clark and Subic for a more attractive package
of incentives under the proposed Kaohsiung-Subic economic
corridor. Based on the provisional agenda, DTI is now
preparing the draft agreement in time for the visit
of Taiwanese economic minister Ho Mei-Yueh, head of
the Taiwanese delegation who will co-chair the 13th
Philippines-Taiwan joint economic conference (JEC) on
December 5 and 6 with Trade Secretary Peter Favila.
Under the scheme, Taiwanese locators registered with
either the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) or
the Clark Development Corp. (CDC) would automatically
enjoy incentives granted by the Board of Investments
(BOI), over and above what they would get from SBMA
and CDC. BOI grants income tax holidays while SBMA/CDC
grants a preferential 5% income tax rate. SBMA/CDC gives
tax and duty-free importation of raw materials and capital
equipment, BOI a 1% duty rate on importation of capital
goods for export-oriented firms. The incentives can
be enjoyed sequentially. DTI said the agreement would
provide for reciprocity - Filipino companies registered
in the Kaohsiung economic zones would similarly be entitled
to incentives available in Taiwan.
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