Customs says study shows 'improved' processing of cargo with digitalization

MANILA - The Bureau of Customs on Monday said there were improvements in the processing of cargo in 5 ports across the country as the agency shifted to digital systems, based on a study by the agency. 

The BOC said that it conducted a time release study (TRS) on the Port of Manila, Manila International Container Port, Port of Davao, Mindanao International Container Terminal (MICT) in Cagayan de Oro and the Port of Zamboanga to determine bottlenecks on cargo clearance and release time.

Imports were processed from as short as 1 day and 12 hours to 2 days and 19 hours. Exports meanwhile were faster, with processing times ranging from just 22 minutes to 2 days and 19 hours. 

The agency said the study showed “improved processing by the BOC.” 

The BOC said its online systems such as the Customer Care Portal, the Goods Declaration and Verification System, and Document Tracking System helped speed up its processing of shipments. 

“Further, the TRS also showed that the delay, if any, in the release of shipment was not within the customs jurisdiction but actually occurs before the formal lodgment of the declarations, which is considered as pre-customs, as well as after the BOC’s on-line release to the arrastre, which is considered as post customs,” Customs said.

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