FILE PHOTO: Senator Grace Poe. Senate PRIB
MANILA, Philippines — A Senate panel is likely to support the decision of the board of the Philippine Port Authority (PPA) to defer its planned container tracking and registration policy that is seen to raise importation costs.
The implementation of the Trusted Operator Program-Container Registry Monitoring System (TOP-CRMS) was deferred last January for lack of “very clear benefits” from it, aside from opposition from all stakeholders and some government agencies.
The reasons behind the deferment were only revealed by Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista during the hearing of the Senate committee on public services on Wednesday.
READ: DOTr chief: PPA halts monitoring system, saying it has unclear benefits
This led the panel head, Senator Grace Poe, to conclude that the new policy is not yet ready for implementation.
“Para sa akin kasi kapag hati ang opinyon ukol sa isang polisiya ay talagang kailangan pag-aralan. Pero sa pagkakataong na ito, hindi lang hati. Parang 100 percent ng stakeholders o kung hindi man 100 percent, halos 99 percent, against dito, sa tingin ko marami talagang dapat ayusin sa proseso, sa polisiya na ito at hindi pa talaga tayo handa na iimplementa ito,” Poe said in an interview after the hearing.
(For me, when opinions are divided regarding a policy, it really needs to be studied. But in this case, it’s not just divided. It seems like 100 percent of the stakeholders or if not 100 percent, almost 99 percent are against it. I think there are really a lot of things that need to be fixed in the process, in this policy, and we are not ready to implement it.)
READ: Container storage firms oppose PPA’s proposed tracking system
The senator also believed that the new policy would just add another layer of bureaucracy while its supposed benefits remain “questionable.”
“The policy is supposedly going to lower the cost for shipping but in reality, it seems it’s just an added layer of bureaucracy but it will actually not lessen the cost,” Poe said.
READ: PPA’s container tracking system gets Arta nod
So when asked later about the likelihood of the panel recommending the revocation of the TOP-CRMS, Poe quickly answered yes.
“Yes, sa ngayon I am 90 percent convinced na dapat hindi matuloy itong bagong policy ng PPA,” she further said.
(Yes, at the moment, I am 90 percent convinced that the new policy of PPA should not push through.)