Bureau of Customs to Impose Tougher Rules and More Fees on Balikbayan Boxes Posted on August 19, 2015 by Timothy Walker • 0 Comments Bureau of Customs to Impose Tougher Rules on Balikbayan Boxes – Philippines Lifestyle - Philippines Lifestyle MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Bureau of Customs said it will begin to impose tougher rules on balikbayan boxes being shipped into the country. The new measure is said to target traders who smuggle goods into the country to bypass Philippine Tariff and Customs Codes. “The existing rules are obsolete and we may have to reassess our coordination and processes with consolidators for stricter and improved compliance,” Customs Commissioner Alberto Lina said in a statement. “Our spot checks from several warehouses show how misconstrued the rules may have become. People are sending in used clothing, home appliances and items of the same kind that can well be used for commercial purposes,” he said. Line also noted that many items that are being shipped in the boxes are often undervalued items and under-declared content, many seen in spot-checks throughout the system. Under the rules of balikbayan boxes, the content is to not exceed $500 dollars in value – other rules include limitations on canned good, grocery items and other household use items (each box can only have 12 of each). Clothing, new or used cannot exceed 3 years per cut. Another unknown rule for those using balikbayan boxes is the limitation of one consignment per sender per month. In recent weeks the Bureau of Customs is attempting to impose additional taxes on balikbayan boxes and other types of consolidated shipments into the country. A report also noted that the ‘clearing fees’ of all containers entering a Philippines port will be subject to a 100,000 to 120,000 peso clearing fee. An additional report also noted that new taxes on balikbayan boxes will cost the shipper an additional 325 pesos per box. Source Facebook Twitter3 Google LinkedIn Pinterest Reddit Email Filed Under: Philippines News, Retire in the Philippines
I did say this some time ago when Azon's cousin( A customs officer) told us that more inspections were going to be made. JP
President Benigno Aquino III has given instructions for the Bureau of Customs to stop the physical inspections of balikbayan boxes unless X-ray and K-9 examinations give rise to suspicions that they contain prohibited items. The decision came after President Benigno Aquino III met with Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima and the Bureau of Customs Commissioner Alberto Lina on Monday afternoon. In a statement, the DOF said that all containers of balikbayan boxes should undergo mandatory X-ray and K-9 examination–at no cost to the sender or the overseas Filipino workers. Only cases where there are derogatory findings from the X-ray or K-9 examination that Customs will conduct e a physical inspection of goods. According to the statement, Aquino emphasized that OFW families view the balikbayan box as an integral part of the family relationship to nurture loved ones at home, a "tangible sign of their love and concern for their family members." OFWs have taken to social media to criticize the BOC's more stringent implementation of the balikbayan box inspections. Lina has claimed that the country loses P50 million in revenues a month due to technical smuggling through the balikbayan boxes. —Trisha Macas/NB, GMA News Show comments - See more at: PNoy stops Customs inspections of balikbayan boxes | News | GMA News Online
Almost 80,000 people have signed an online petition urging Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago to stop the BOC from implementing stricter rules on #balikbayan boxes. Noy stops random inspection of balikbayan boxes President Aquino stopped last night the random or arbitrary inspection of balikbayan boxes from overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) after it drew flak from various sectors.
You see the People do have a voice that can be heard. Now they must voice it in others places and they just may see some change. Of course voicing it in the Ballot Boxes will be the telling sign JP
