The Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) will soon roll out its new electronic transfer system that aims to fully automate and simplify documentation of the movement of goods, including the issuance of permits, between PEZA-registered enterprises.
In a memorandum dated January 28, PEZA said the Electronic Zone Transfer System (eZTS) will be pilot-tested first with several types of warehouse and logistics operations.
The program, which is being carried out with the Bureau of Customs (BOC) under Joint Memorandum Order (JMO) No. 02-2015, provides a “simpler and more efficient system for documenting and processing the clearance, release and transfer of goods between PEZA-registered enterprises.”
The eZTS is also seen as “an effective monitoring and safeguard system for the movement of duty and tax-free goods in order to protect government revenues.”
The system will initially involve three types of locators: PEZA-registered Ecozone Logistics Warehousing Enterprises (ELSE), Ecozone Facilities Enterprises engaged in warehousing/logistics (EFE-WDs), and Ecozone Export Enterprises with registered warehousing/logistics operations (EEE-WD).
The pilot test will cover these warehousing/logistics operations: importation and procurement of goods for supply or sale to PEZA-registered enterprises; storage and inventory management of goods of PEZA-registered enterprise-clients; and retrieval and delivery of these goods by or to these enterprise clients.
A PEZA-accredited value-added service provider (VASP) that has completed the Users Acceptance Test of its eZTS and has had its system approved by the authority can join in the pilot run.
The VASP will select only one ELSE/EFE-WD/EEE-WD client with goods for delivery to PEZA-registered enterprise clients in each PEZA zones (one client per zone) under the allowed transaction types for the pilot.
The ELSE/EFE-WD/EEE-WD and PEZA-registered enterprise-client must then enrol, and each participant can designate up to three officers who will be given access to the system.
Once enrolled and the user’s name provided by PEZA, the ELSE/EFE-WD/EEE-WD and the PEZA-registered enterprise-client will establish their pre-payment account with the eZTS, similar to the pre-payment module of the PEZA Electronic Import Permit System and Automated Export Declaration System.
The participants must also secure a general transport security bond under JMO 02-2015 in accordance with Customs Memorandum Order No. 40-2015, or the guidelines for implementing the JMO.
When these are done, payment of the PEZA processing fee for “indirect export” amounting to P360 for goods valued at US$10,000 and above, or P180 for goods valued below $10,000, and the Letter of Authority processing fee of P1,200 for every application for authority and permit to transfer, will be deducted from the pre-payment account of the participant.
PEZA noted that the VASP’s lodgement fee for all transactions under the eZTS “shall be free of charge for the duration of the pilot/trial period.”
Meanwhile, a separate PEZA memo will be issued on the mandatory execution of the system by all ELSEs/EFE-WDs/EEE-WDs, including EEEs and IT and IT-enabled enterprises. – Roumina Pablo
Image courtesy of mapichai at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
