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Philippine Economic Zone Authority is seeking stronger ties with the Bureau of Customs as part of efforts to enhance trade facilitation and logistics efficiency in economic zones
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A PEZA team met recently with Acting BOC Commissioner Yogi Filemon Ruiz and collectors assigned in PEZA zones to build on the agencies’ partnership in terms of increasing logistics efficiency and supply chain management and other measures
The Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) is seeking firmer ties with the Bureau of Customs (BOC) as part of efforts to enhance trade facilitation and logistics efficiency in economic zones.
A PEZA team led by officer-in-charge and deputy director general for policy and planning Tereso Panga met recently with Acting BOC Commissioner Yogi Filemon Ruiz and collectors assigned in PEZA zones to build on the two agencies’ partnership in enhancing logistics efficiency and supply chain management, and other measures for continual improvement.
The two collectors who joined the meeting were Alex Go for Cavite and National Capital Region and Marife Recinto for Laguna.
Panga said in a statement that PEZA and the BOC discussed various pressing concerns among registered enterprises such as:
- Use of single general transport surety bonds (GTSB) for ecozone importations and interzone transfer of goods between PEZA-registered enterprises;
- Adoption of selective and risk-based approach for shipments to be covered by electronic tracking using electronic seal under the Electronic Tracking of Containerized Cargo;
- Integration of PEZA Electronic Import Permit System (EIPS) and Automated Export Documentation System (AEDS) into the BOC Electronic-to-Mobile (E2M) System for increased security and transparency in processing and monitoring import and export permits/documents;
- Basis of computation of tax and duties on the disposal of enterprises’ assets pursuant to Republic Act No. 11534 or Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises Act.
“It is important to strengthen the partnership between PEZA and BOC given their respective roles in investment and trade facilitation that are being improved towards digital transformation,” Panga said.
Over the years, PEZA had introduced the electronic import permit and AEDS for ecozone locators. BOC, for its part, has also been implementing automated systems to improve operations.
PEZA and BOC have been renewing their cooperation over the years.
BOC and PEZA first signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) in 2001 to undertake programs to simplify and make more convenient compliance with regulations and doing business at PEZA zones.
Both agencies have since signed joint memorandum orders prescribing procedures for several BOC-PEZA operations. In 2018, both agencies signed an MOA renewing their cooperation to further improve operations covering shipments bound to PEZA ecozones.
