Poe calls for scrapping of PPA container monitoring system after ARTA re-evaluation

MANILA - Senator Grace Poe is calling for the scrapping of the Trusted Operator Program-Container Registry and Monitoring System (TOP-CRMS) of the Philippine Port Authority, following the Anti-Red Tape Authority's (ARTA) reevaluation of the system.

According to Poe, the new container monitoring system has been found to be unnecessary.

"Dagdag gastos na nga, dagdag pasakit pa (It's an added cost and added burden). It was found during the Senate hearing that the new monitoring system will only add an additional layer of bureaucracy when shipping lines already have their own," she said in a statement.

Poe was reacting to the ARTA's re-evaluation of the system, which it released July 29.

According to ARTA, there is currently no port congestion, a problem which the new system is supposed to solve.

"Although it is noted that the TOP-CRMS is preventive for future congestion, the costs of implementation for the industry should be thoughtfully considered," it added.

The re-evaluation was done following requests from various business groups, who claimed the new system would increase importation costs.

"The issue of port congestion which PPA used to justify the policy is apparently non-existent. Even PPA, as claimed by ARTA, admitted that there is no congestion in PPA-regulated ports," Poe said.

"Sabi nga ng ilang stakeholders noong pagdinig sa Senado, seasonal lang daw ito," she added.

(Some of the stakeholders said during the Senate probe that this [port congestion] is seasonal.)

Poe also expressed hope that this new report from ARTA will push both the Department of Transportation and PPA to discontinue the use of the monitoring system.

"As the Senate Committee on Public Services found, the TOP-CRMS will not solve the logistics problem it seeks to address but only create redundancy in procedures and entail additional costs to port users," she said.

"Hopefully, this re-evaluation will also push both the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and PPA to follow through on its commitment to the Senate and officially revoke the said policy," Poe added.

The use of the TOP-CRMS was first deferred "indefinitely" in February 2023.

• PPA board defers implementation of new container monitoring system

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