The Bureau of Customs (BOC) is tasked to expedite the accreditation and activation of container yards, Inland Clearance Depots (ICDs), and Inland Container Terminals (ICTs) to help prevent port congestion.
This is among the BOC’s responsibilities as the overall implementing agency of the proposed Joint Administrative Order (JAO) on yard utilization and transparency in charges for the handling of cargo by customs third parties and other logistics providers.
The accreditation and activation of container yard facilities also dovetail with another responsibility assigned to the BOC under the proposed JAO, which requires the agency to promulgate rules and regulations for monitoring the utilization of terminal facilities, container yards, and container depots.
Under the proposed mandate, the BOC should enforce a container yard utilization rate of no more than 75 percent, as necessary to prevent congestion.
At present, the major facilities officially recognized or licensed as inland container terminals by the BOC include the Laguna Gateway Inland Container Terminal and Tanza Container Terminal.
The draft JAO also tasks the BOC with issuing appropriate implementing rules and regulations, including the imposition of penalties on shipping lines that fail to designate a port or container yard for the return of containers after cargo devanning, as well as on importers or cargo truck operators that fail to return containers despite being advised by the shipping line.
Likewise, the BOC will formulate and adopt policies and regulations consistent with international standards for monitoring international containers, including all destination and origin charges that may be imposed by international shipping lines, freight forwarders or logistics companies, customs brokers, cargo truck operators, container yard operators, and empty container depots in connection with customs-related services.
For efficient monitoring, the BOC should develop or accredit automated monitoring systems to track and manage the movement of containers in ports.
Shipping lines, terminal facilities, container yards, importers, and cargo truck operators will be required to use these systems to generate comprehensive information on container movements nationwide.
In addition, the BOC shall review and revise existing regulations governing the disposition of seized and abandoned cargoes to facilitate the decongestion of port terminals.
It should also promulgate policies governing the transfer of laden containers from ports to inland depots or terminals to prevent congestion and ensure the efficient movement of containers.
