Albay 2nd District Rep. Joey Salceda. (INQUIRER FILE PHOTO)
MANILA, Philippines — Creating an automatic report system that could detect different duties for the same kind of imported good and allowing re-exports only inside freeport zones would help curb the smuggling of agricultural products, Albay Rep. Joey Salceda said on Monday.
This means “ring fencing” goods — that is, segregating imported goods from those for transshipment and for re-export — so that they would not get mixed up with other goods meant for domestic use, Salceda explained during the hearing of the House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means.
“But I’m sure many won’t like it if goods for re-export would only enter free zones and not be able to get into the domestic market. Our problems will be solved if we could ring-fence them,” Salceda said in Filipino.
On the other hand, an automatic report system would tip off government officials if there are discrepancies in the duties paid by different importers for similar products.
As an example, Salceda said that one port could charge P800,000 but another port would charge P300,000 for the same type of goods.
“So there is really something going on,” Salceda said.
“I don’t want to point fingers. I want to find a solution. So our first recommendation is an automatic alert system — a digitized valuation system where significant deviations from pre-set benchmark values are reported to the DA [Department of Agriculture], DOF [Department of Finance], and BOC [Bureau of Customs],” he added.
Salceda also suggested that real-time tracking of vessels and containers be implemented, especially since several shipments are active in international monitoring but are nowhere to be found in the country — raising the suspicion that the items inside these containers had been smuggled.
Salceda’s panel tackled the problem of agricultural smuggling during the hearing, after numerous reports of smuggled products entering the country.
In a speech, Sultan Kudarat Rep. Horacio Suansing Jr. named several individuals and consignees believed to be involved in smuggling, urging the committee to summon them for the inquiry.
The Bureau of Customs — the primary agency tasked with detecting smuggled goods — has intercepted hundreds of shipments containing agriculture products that were either underdeclared or misdeclared as different items.
Most of the time, containers carry smuggled raw food like meat, seafood, vegetables, and spices — particularly onions.