The Bureau of Customs (BOC) will be rolling out an app that will help overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to be constantly informed about rules for sending balikbayan (personal effects) boxes to the country.
Customs commissioner Alberto Lina, in a press conference in Davao City on November 6, said the application will be available by December 15 to guide balikbayans and OFWs on what to send and not send through balikbayan boxes.
The app can also compute users’ duties and taxes, track status of their boxes, as well as forward their inquiries to BOC.
BOC last year inaugurated the Balikbayan Box Tracker website that allows balikbayan box senders and receivers to view the status of their boxes.
Lina said the application—developed by Ube Media, the marketing communication and media production company under the Lina Group of Companies that Lina founded—is “a gift to the Filipino people.”
The BOC chief earlier said he would be divesting his interests from companies under his group that directly dealt with BOC.
Earlier, the agency drew flak over a plan to conduct physical inspections on balikbayan boxes, forcing President Benigno Aquino III to order BOC to x-ray boxes, and open them only if there is derogatory information against them.
READ: BOC affirms xray inspection for balikbayan boxes under revised rules
Higher charges on balikbayan boxes explained
Lina also clarified the BOC has no plans to increase duties and taxes on balikbayan boxes, in response to some congressmen recently asking agency officials to attend hearings on why additional fees were imposed. Lina said lawmakers may have been misinformed as BOC has no power to impose charges.
Assessment and Operations deputy commissioner Atty. Agaton Teodoro Uvero, who was also in Davao with Lina, explained that consolidators and freight forwarders already incorporate customs duties and taxes when they bill OFWs and balikbayans in the country of origin. BOC then collects the fees from consolidators.
Uvero said the bureau only wants to collect correct fees due to government.
Added Revenue Collection and Monitoring Group deputy commissioner Atty. Arturo Lachica at the Davao event, “BOC only wants to collect what is just without violating our agreement that we should go lenient on balikbayan boxes.”
He said the P180,000 cost in sending a container is just a benchmark and represents the fee collected from consolidators, not from OFWs.
As for concerns the customs agency opens letters and parcels sent through the postal office, Uvero said only the Philippine Postal Corporation can initiate such an action. BOC only participates as a witness when items opened turn out to be dutiable.– Roumina Pablo
Image courtesy of FrameAngel at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
