Acid test for BoC chief

COMMENTS on a recent column tend to partake of guarded optimism on whether new Customs Commissioner Angelito Alvarez can deliver on President Benigno “P-Noy”Aquino III’s anti-smuggling marching orders.

The ruckus over Alvarez’s golf scorecard, notwithstanding, Streetlights has wagered that since his track record as a businessman indicated he can deliver, as tariff czar he will acquit himself as well.

Already, the BoC chief is reported to have barred so-called haoshiaos at the Customs inspection zones to ensure transactions are open and aboveboard. Hopefully, this bid for transparency will be buttressed by solid preemptive measures versus smuggling and its coddlers.

Soon enough Alvarez is expected to act on reported detailed findings on eight Turkish flour importers ready for his perusal. Aside from allegedly under-declared or technically smuggled, the flour is said to be below nutrient standards, worse yet purportedly contaminated.

Item – Pertaining to the suspected Turkish flour smugglers, tariff payments have fallen short by P51 million – not counting other importers engaged in same “black trade.”

Item – Two of the eight Turkish flour importers in question used the Manila International Container Port as point of entry even as the third used both the MICP and Port of Manila.

The first is suspected of cheating the government of at least P13.8 million by misdeclaring flour import of 8,592 metric tons as only 5,389; while the second imported 7,086 MT but declared as only 4,961 to evade P6.9 million in payable tariff.

Well, the third apparently wouldn’t be too far behind as it brought in 10,488 MT, undervalued the shipment by 23.3 percent to deprive the BoC of also P6.9 million revenue.

In all, that’s a P27.6-million caper on the BoC by just three Turkish flour importers. Thus, credibly, the P51-million tariff evasion imputed to the eight improters.

Moreover, BoC sources who claim to be privy to the report available to Alvarez at his beck-and-call and, hopefully, appropriate and immediate action – alleged that while the applicable reference value of Turkish flour stands at $300 per metric ton, the questioned shipment has been undervalued to a despicably low of $27.7 MT.

What this tells us is that the Turkish flour smugglers have gone at it with unmitigated impunity during the Arroyo administration. Nothing but the stuff for President Aquino’s State-of-the-Nation-Address on Monday.

Massively perpetrated during the end days of Arroyo economic regime, the Turkish flour smuggling is something to look back to in anguish by the Aquino administration. It’s likely to temper the ebullience embodied by P-Noy’s marching orders to the BoC chief.

Then again, taking on smuggling by the horn, especially the widely published Turkish flour shipment, will be Alvarez’s once- in- a-lifetime acid test as a top business executive harnessed to public office.

There may not be second chances for you, Mr. Commissioner, given the Customs notoriety for graft and corruption. Here’s to all the political will you can muster and as much luck your arms can hold.

-Willie S. Baun

Source: http://www.journal.com.ph/index.php/opinion/14634-acid-test-for-boc-chief-.html