Surveyor's report for bulk shipments soon a must
THE Bureau of Customs (BOC) will soon require importers to submit a surveyor's
report for their bulk shipments 24 hours prior to ship arrival.
The system is part of the agency's risk-management efforts since
only BOC-accredited surveyors may be used.
Customs Commissioner Napoleon Morales said the BOC will require the accredited
surveyor to submit electronically a copy of its report from the port of loading
24 hours before the arrival of the ship to any port in the Philippines.
"This way, we will be able to determine what are the items involved, their volume and value.
We are making this measure airtight to collect what is due government," he added.
The measure has been proposed to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo some time ago.
"All we are doing now is to finalize the terms of reference for this measure," Morales said.
The BOC has patterned the advance submission of a surveyors' report on the advance information
required for all Philippine-bound cargoes six hours prior to vessel arrival at any port.
In another development, President Arroyo has ordered a major reorganization of key BOC offices
under Executive Order No. 724.
The order, which aims to intensify the BOC's anti-smuggling efforts, places the
prosecution functions of four BOC offices - the Investigation and Prosecution Division,
Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service, Intelligence and Enforcement Group (IEG),
and the Enforcement and Security Services- under the Office of the Commissioner.
Malaca?ang has earmarked P5 million for the rewards mechanism and P2 million more as a
one-time expense for the inventory, cataloguing and eventual transfer of case folders, files
and other documents of the affected departments to the unit under the Office of the Commissioner.
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Marina, NMLC to buy P2B worth of ro-ro vessels
THE Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) and the NDC-Maritime Leasing Corp.
(NMLC) have forged an agreement to support the roll on-roll off (ro-ro) program
of government also known as the Strong Republic Nautical Highway (SRNH).
The agreement, signed during the Marina anniversary celebrations last Monday,
includes the acquisition of 26 ro-ro vessels amounting to about P2 billion.
Each of the ro-ro vessels costs P70 million to P80 million and have a capacity
of 250 to 300 passengers and more capacity for rolling cargoes.
"Marina will start effecting the modernization (of the shipping industry)
by providing the necessary ships covering the SRNH, while the NMLC supports
the program by funding the required number of ships," Marina Administrator Vicente
Suazo, Jr. said.
"We will also try to use the capability of local shipyards to build the ships to kick start
operations of local yards particularly in Navotas, Cebu, Batangas, Bataan and Iloilo,"
Suazo added.
In addition, Marina will help market the NMLC's lease-to-own program to vessel
operators along the three main seaboards - western, central and eastern -
and to other operators along the lateral routes of the seaboards.
Friendly terms
NMLC offers a 5-10% lease deposit with no real estate mortgage and lower
interest rate and longer term payment. It also gives a 5% fixed interest rate for missionary
routes and 10% for commercial routes.
Second-hand vessel operators have 10 years to pay while operators of newly built ro-ro
vessels have 15 years to pay the loan. Operators in missionary routes have a three-year
grace period and can avail of assistance in the construction of terminals.
Ro-ro operators may also enjoy Bureau of Investments income tax holiday and tax
and duty exemption on imported capital equip-ment and spare parts.
There are 92 ro-ro-capable ports nation-wide, 68 of which are served by 49
shipping companies operating more than 250 ships.
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Nine airports being spruced up
NINE airports will be upgraded to world standards
from now until 2010.
"Government is starting with the nine strategically located airports
in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao to upgrade it to world standards to
accommodate bigger capacity for airlines to land and operate at a
24-hour basis," Transportation and Communications Secretary Leandro
Mendoza told the 2nd Philippine International Logistics Expo last week.
"We are not competitive due to the current state of our airports. We need
bigger and better airports to compete," he added.
The nine airports are Davao, Iloilo, Silay-Bacolod, Laguindingan in Cagayan
de Oro, Panglao in Bohol, Busuanga in Palawan, Zamboanga, Clark and the NAIA
Terminal 3.
Improvements include the construction of larger passenger terminal buildings,
cargo areas, longer runways, installation of proper lighting facilities to provide
night operations and the installation of proper security facilities.
Finishing touches are already been done for Davao, Iloilo and Silay-Bacolod
airports. All will be fully operational before yearend.
Panglao, Busuanga, Zamboanga and Laguindingan airports will be
completed by next year and the rest by 2010.
The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) is also looking
at completing the upgrade for NAIA Terminal 3 this year. Opening is tentatively
scheduled in the second semester of the year.
At least eight firms, including foreign airport developers, have expressed interest
to bid for the P600-million Terminal 3 upgrade after government terminated Japanese
contractor Takenaka.
Clark is doubling the capacity of its passenger terminal building and is set to build a third runway.
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Complementation, not competition, should be RP strategy with China
The Philippines should strengthen its connections with the People's Republic
of China - and not compete with it - if it ever hopes to become one of Asia's
top logistics destinations, according to Center for Research and Communication (CRC).
"China is really big and we cannot compete with them in terms of volume.
What we can do is to complement their operation by offering services for their
excesses," CRC director Enrico Basilio said last week in a presentation at the
2nd Philippine International Logistics Expo.
"The government should (take) that direction with two large international
logistics companies already transferring to China in the next two years,"
Basilio stressed.
The two are Federal Express and United Parcel Service.
If China sees the Philippines complementing its operations,
Basilio said the economic powerhouse could pour in additional
investments into the Philippines because this would eventually
support operations of businesses in China.
Complementation, said Basilio, is the plan of Chinese shipping firm
China Ocean Shipping Co. The company is eyeing a $3-billion regional
cargo hub at either Sangley point and the Subic Freeport.
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New box terminal, expressway boon to Central, Northern Luzon industries
THE operation of the New Container Terminal 1 (NCT-1) and the
Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX) as well as the soon-to-be-opened
NCT-2 will increase global market access for industries in Central and Northern Luzon.
"Now that the infrastructure is in place, it would be easier to attract foreign
investments and boost local trade," Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA)
administrator Armand Arreza said in a statement.
The NCT-1, operated by Subic Bay International Terminal Corp (SBITC), has already
unloaded its first shipment in April from Kaoshiung in Taiwan.
"Subic is now fully equipped to attract, foster and support industries,
and it is a key to an industrialized Philippines," said SBITC vice-chairman
Francisco Delgado III.
"NCT-1 will provide the global link needed by industries
in the Central and Northern Luzon growth corridor," he added.
Subic's container port and the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport
at the neighboring Clark Freeport are the key ingredients to government efforts
in transforming the former Subic and Clark military bases into a globally competitive
service and logistics hub in the Asia-Pacific region.
Subic's port and Clark's airport are now connected by the
94-kilometer SCTEX, which is expected to play a crucial role in
facilitating the efficient transfer of raw materials, products and
services between the two free ports and other industrial areas in Luzon.
Earlier, SBMA said it was looking at a 30% increase in shipcalls this year
anchored on the operation of NCT-1 and the full commercial operations of the SCTEX,
which cuts travel time to Subic from Clark by almost 50%.
SBMA also expects to hike revenues another 5% upon awarding of the NCT-2 to an
operator and its subsequent opening within the third quarter of the year.
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DHL Philippines is intensifying operations in Central and Northern
Luzon by strengthening its North Luzon Service Center's operations at
the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.
It said the DHL North Luzon Service Center will reduce costs,
extend cut-off times, and improve products and services.
New country manager Ahmad Mohamad said the North Luzon service
center, which opened in November last year, will take advantage
of business opportunities offered by the North Luzon Triangle following
the completion of the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway.
He added growth in exports and investments are expected in
the North Triangle this year especially since the Subic-Clark-Tarlac
Expressway cuts transport time to 30 minutes between Subic and Clark.
Subic exports, for instance, grew 40% to $971 million in 2007 from $691 million in 2006.
"Our DHL North Luzon Service Center has given us a better opportunity to contribute
to the growth of Philippine industries by delivering quality service to clients within
the North Luzon Triangle," Mohamad said.
The DHL North Luzon Service Center services manufacturing firms, semiconductor
companies, importers, exporters and individual entrepreneurs based in area.
The 945-square meter service center is equipped with the newest shipment
tracking programs and devices, package sorting and distribution, access
control and surveillance systems to ensure efficient express delivery solutions.
It offers DHL customers the full suite of express courier services such as
Import Express, Import Express Online, Airport-to-Door Express, Express
9:00, 10:30 and 12:30, Student Express, and Jumbo Box and Jumbo Junior.
For 2008, DHL Philippines sees a 30% increase in volume out of the Subic-Clark-Bataan
triangle despite the slowdown in the country's export shipments, particularly electronic
products which comprise 75% of the entire traffic of DHL.
DHL has already injected P30 million for the development of its Subic
and Clark facilities but expressed readiness to infuse more.
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INTERNATIONAL air cargo growth continues to remain sluggish, posting only
a 3.7% increase in April, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
IATA director general Giovanni Bisignani said the growth was weaker than the 4.4% average
increase recorded during the first quarter, reflecting the impact of the global
economic slowdown.
He said the EU-US Open Skies agreement provided a modest boost to US airlines which
recorded a 6% growth in April due to extra transatlantic capacity.
Middle Eastern airlines recorded a bigger increase of 15.8% in April
because of additional capacity and strong trade in the markets they serve.
"Combine slowing growth with skyrocketing oil prices and the industry
outlook is grim at best," said Bisignani in the report.
Passenger demand grew 3% year-on-year but the capacity growth of 5%
saw load factors fall to 75.4% or 1.5% lower than the 76.9% posted a year ago.
Bisignani said, unadjusted passage traffic figures for April indicate significant
differences by region such as in Europe where a 1.6% growth is recorded, down from
the 3.7% recorded in March.
North American carriers recorded 3.8% demand growth in international
passenger traffic as capacity continued to shift to international markets.
This was outstripped by capacity expansion of 6.2%. Moreover it is down from
the 6.3% year-on-year growth recorded in March.
Asia Pacific carriers saw a 2.6% growth in demand, down from 4.3% in
March as a result of the slowing Japanese economy. Particularly impacted
were long-haul routes to North America and Europe.
Middle Eastern airlines registered an 11% rise in traffic
due to soaring oil revenues, developing tourism and additional airport and airline capacity.
Latin American airlines posted a 4% increase. This is down from the 19.7% recorded in
March as the impact of the significant industry restructuring in 2007 wears off.
Africa continued its free fall with a 5.6% contraction in traffic and an 8.7% reduction in capacity.
"In 2007 airlines posted a profit of $5.6 billion. This was the first profit
after six years in which losses totaled more than $40 billion. To achieve this,
we re-engineered the industry," said Bisignani.
"On June 1, the industry marked aÖ milestone, having achieved 100%
e-ticketing. It means $3 billion in cost savings and greater convenience
everywhere. But there will barely be time to celebrate. Much more change
is needed," said Bisignani.
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