Bongbong Marcos eyes pre-shipment check to curb smuggling of agri products

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
— MALACAÑANG PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Thursday said he is considering whether to start conducting pre-shipping inspections to stop the smuggling of agricultural products.

According to the Presidential Communications Office, the move was recommended by officials of the Société Générale de Surveillance SA (SGS) during their meeting with Marcos in Malacañang.

“This scheme would minimize smuggling. It will be essentially…pre-shipping inspection,” Marcos said after the meeting, as quoted by the PCO.

“Ibig sabihin, bago pa isakay ‘yung produkto sa barko doon sa pinanggagalingan, inspeksyunin na nila para sasabihin nila, ‘totoo ito, tama ang timbang, tama ang quality, tama ang nasa record na pinanggalingan’ — all of these items. Para hindi na natin kailangan gawin dito sa Pilipinas,” he explained.

(It means that even before the products are loaded onto ships, they would already be inspected to check whether the weights, the quality and the records are accurate. So that we will no longer need to do it in the Philippines.)

The President said they will extend to cover agricultural invoices so that prior to the arrival of the planes or ships, shipments are paid already, speeding up the process.

There is also the need to conduct cost analysis first to make sure that no added burden will be imposed on consumers, he added.

Citing the UN Commodity Trade data for the Philippines, the PCO said some 20.48% discrepancy in the reported values of agricultural imports from 2010 to 2021 were found.

This resulted in revenue losses for the government.

The PCO said for edible vegetables, roots and tubers, the discrepancy was 34.74% while for swine meat (fresh, chilled or frozen), the discrepancy was at 41.89%.

Conducting pre-shipment inspection (PSI) and conformity assessment procedures, the agency said, would ensure that the quantity and other specifications of the goods conform with sanitary and phytosanitary import permits and test the presence of diseases, among others.

SGS claims this would address smuggling and contain the spread of diseases such as African Swine Fever and Avian Flu, clarifying also that inspection and testing fees would be paid for by the exporter.

Under the arrangement, the PCO said SGS will create a digital invoice in a standardized format prescribed by the authorities on an online government platform for registered or authenticated agricultural exporter/seller/supplier.

The invoices would be available in real-time to the Department of Agriculture (DA), Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), and Bureau of Customs (BOC), which, according to SGS, would deter importers from manipulating or falsifying invoices and, instead, increase tax compliance, and enable cross-agency trade data reconciliation.

The system will likewise ensure that all agricultural importations are recorded and accounted for to prevent hoarding and price manipulation.

The PCO said the costs of registration/authentication and operating the platform would also be paid for by the exporter.

With this, Marcos has directed the DOF and the DA to study the proposal and come out with a mechanism to implement it.

SGS is a testing, inspection, and certification company established in 1878 with an aim of ensuring the quality and safety of products based on health, safety and regulatory standards.

The Swiss company has 2,650 offices and laboratories and employs 97,000 personnel in 140 countries.

According to the PCO, the Philippines contracted the SGS from 1986 to 2000 for the verification of the quality, quantity, and price of imported goods prior to shipment to the Philippines.

SGS is currently working with the DOF on the fuel marking program.

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