The Philippine Bureau of Customs (BOC) has decentralized the issuance of customs brokers’ renewal of accreditation as well as activation of the Client Profile Registration System (CPRS) of entities accredited by other government agencies to the district collectors from the BOC Account Management Office (AMO).

In a memo dated April 4 and signed April 12, Customs commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero said decentralizing these processes is in keeping with Republic Act (RA) No. 11032 or the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018.

Last February, Guerrero had already said BOC would streamline accreditation procedures of AMO, the office which handles accreditation of importers and registration of customs brokers, partly by reverting the applications for renewal of accreditation of customs brokers, as well as CPRS activation, to the district collection offices.

He said the goal was to process renewal and activation of accreditation in just a day.

He added the plan was for only the application of importers and consignees to go through the Office of the Commissioner for approval.

The new memo prescribes all Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS) offices to function as AMO satellite offices to assist the district collector in processing applications for accreditation.

The memo also lists requirements and steps for processing the applications.

Under the memo, customs brokers seeking accreditation files an application with the CIIS district office. After payment of application processing fee and evaluation of documents, the district collector approves or disapproves the application. Approved applications are forwarded to the AMO, which then activates the CPRS and forwards the Certificate of Accreditation to the concerned collection district.

As for application of stakeholders accredited by other government agencies, there are only two steps: official endorsement by the accrediting government agency by official electronic mail, by official messenger, or through a secured courier service to the collection district; and activation of CPRS by the district collector. — www.portcalls.com