No taxes for donations, Customs says

NO taxes or duties will be collected by the Bureau of Customs (BOC) on the cargo flights carrying donations and relief goods from the international communities.

“Kita pay gitabangan sa laing nasud kita pay magpadugay-dugay (We are being helped by other countries, should we be the cause of delays in their delivery?),” Acting Customs chief Cornelia Wilwayco of the Mactan port said.

Wilwayco said documents are immediately released so that relief goods can also be distributed.

She added that there are no inspections done because they want the papers and relief goods released immediately.

“As long as these cargoes are relief goods and its co-signees are the DSWD and the non-government organizations (NGOs) accredited by the DSWD then there will be no charges. Release is done in less than five minutes,” she said.

Concerning a report about the delays in the delivery of German relief goods, Wilwayco said it may have been a case of miscommunication. She said the BOC is required to record every cargo flight. Correspondent Michelle Joy L. Padayhag