The Bureau of Customs (BOC) will roll out on Aug 2 the Enhanced Goods Declaration Verification System (eGDVS) also known as “1-Assessment” initially at the ports of Subic, Clark and Batangas.
Customs Memorandum Order (CMO) No. 10-2018, the guidelines for implementing EGDVS, was signed by Customs commissioner Isidro Lapeña on July 12.
1-Assessment is a web-based application workflow system that involves electronic processing and monitoring of import goods declaration, translating to lesser human intervention on transactions between stakeholders and Customs personnel. It is designed to combat red tape and promote transparency and efficiency in the delivery of customs services, the BOC said in a press statement.
The EGDVS facility will be available via egdvs-broker.customs.gov.ph.
The system will provide stakeholders a bias-free assessment of their goods declarations through its zero-contact policy where importers and brokers get actual updates on the status of their respective goods declaration without face-to-face transactions with customs personnel, BOC said.
Lapeña said the system will minimize corruption attempts at BOC ports as the opportunity for collusion among clients or stakeholders, customs appraisers and examiners is removed with the random selection of appraisers and examiners to be assigned with goods declaration.
Management Information System and Technology Group Information Officer 2 Basilisa Absalon, during the “Ease of Doing Business at MICP” stakeholders’ forum organized by PortCalls and Asia Customs & Trade on July 20, said the target is to implement 1-Assessment in all customs districts by end of the year, with MICP as the last to adopt the new system.
EGDVS was first introduced as GDVS in the Port of Manila and the Manila International Container Port as provided for in Customs Memorandum Order 31-2017 issued in December 2017.
GDVS implemented the directive of Lapeña to remove the sectioning at the Formal Entry Division (FED). This removed the ‘suki system’, where some stakeholders seek out certain appraisers open to prioritizing assessment of entries in exchange for a fee, and limited face-to-face transactions when processing goods declaration at the said ports.
Unlike the current version (GDVS), 1-Assessment allows the random assignment of entries for assessment to any BOC appraiser working in any of the ports of the Bureau nationwide.
Under the new system, processing of goods declaration will be on first-in, first-out basis. “This time, no more “VIPs” in goods declaration. If everything is in order and you have your documents ready, then nothing prevents you from lodging your entries. We are leveling the playing field for all legitimate importers,” Lapeña said.
Stakeholders will also be able to see the status of their entries using any web browser without the need to contact customs personnel.
BOC stakeholders will no longer need to wait or stay long in BOC offices to monitor and verify their goods declaration because apart from the available kiosks at BOC ports, 1-Assessment will allow stakeholders to view and monitor the status of their goods declaration through desktop browser and smartphones.
Stakeholders will also be able to monitor if their credentials are being used without their knowledge.
Importers and customs brokers may upload scanned copies of their goods declaration to 1-Assessment. The new system uses digital copies of the documents for easier retrieval and assessment.
The system also allows for assigning of key performance indicators (KPIs) to each examiner and appraiser based on their speed and efficiency by which they process entries. These KPIs, along with the processing time averages will be monitored by the concerned officers of the Bureau.
To ensure the queuing mechanism is enforced, appraisers and examiners must finish or complete the processing of goods declaration pending with them before they can process another declaration.
Appraisers and examiners are required to provide remarks on the pending goods declaration for immediate action if issues and concerns arise during the assessment process.
It must be noted that EGDVS is separate and apart from BOC’s electronic-to-mobile (e2m) system and stakeholders will still need to lodge their entries to the e2mand submit the physical documents to the assessment division of the port of goods declaration.
Under the process, the value-added service provider/accredited information processor (VASP/AIP) shall send the e2m-filed goods declaration/entry through web-service to the EDGVS.
The customs broker shall then log-in to the EGDVS with their authorized username and password. The customs broker shall retrieve the filed goods declaration to EGDVS then attach the required supporting documents. The customs broker must submit the hard copy of the filed goods declaration to BOC’s Entry Processing Unit (EPU) or any equivalent unit assigned to receive the documents.
Upon receipt of the registered E2Mgoods declaration and its supporting documents, the customs officer of the EPU or its equivalent unit shall conduct preliminary verification/comparison of the hard copy and the attached documents against the filed foods declaration in the EGDVS. Once verified, the customs officer shall click “Start Assign” button, then submit the documents to the Office of the Chief, FED, or its equivalent unit.
The examiner shall log-in to the EGDVS and check and acknowledge the assigned goods declaration then retrieve the documents form the Office of the Chief, FED or its equivalent unit. The examiner shall verify and meticulously compare the submitted hard copy of the goods declaration and attached documents submitted to EGDVS. After verification, the examiner will process the goods declaration in the E2Mand update the status of the declaration through EGDVS.
The appraiser shall log-in to the EGDVS, check and acknowledge the assigned goods declaration in the EDGVS, process the goods declaration in the E2Mand update the status of the declaration in the EGDVS.
The examiner and appraiser from the FED or its equivalent unit shall log-in individually to the EGDVS daily with cut-off time until 9:00AM only, in order to determine the goods declaration assigned to them on that dat. Once logged-in, a dashboard shall appear in the screen indicating the goods declaration number (single administrative document number) individually assigned to each appraiser and examiner, together with the attached documents.
In case additional documents are needed, the assigned examiner or appraiser will notify BOC stakeholders through the EGDVS system by filling up the “remarks” section in the system. The importers/customs broker will submit the scanned copy (pdf, png, or jpeg file) of the additional documents through their EGDVS account, while the hard copy will be submitted to the customs officer of the EPU or its equivalent unit, who in turn will forward the same to the FED chief or its equivalent.
Failure to comply with provisions of CMO 10-2018 “may be grounds for administrative and disciplinary action against any erring customs personnel as provided under existing rules and regulations.” – Roumina Pablo
