The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has issued guidelines for implementing the enhanced goods declaration verification system (EGDVS), which involves random assignment of appraisers and examiners to a given goods declaration.
Customs Memorandum Order (CMO) No. 10-2018, signed by Customs commissioner Isidro Lapeña on July 12, initially covers goods declaration processed at the Formal Entry Division (FED) or its equivalent unit at the ports of Batangas, Clark, and Subic. It will take effect after completion of the 15-day publication requirement.
Customs Commissioner Isidro Lapeña had earlier said the system will be adopted starting August 1.
The system provides importers and customs brokers actual updates on the status of their goods declaration. It also aims to minimize corruption through a zero-contact policy since importers/customs brokers can file their goods declaration online instead of going to BOC offices.
The EGDVS facility will be available via egdvs-broker.customs.gov.ph.
BOC’s Management Information System and Technology Group (MISTG), which created the system, earlier said EGDVS would eradicate the “suki system”, where some stakeholders seek out certain appraisers open to prioritizing assessment of entries in exchange for a fee, and face-to-face transaction between stakeholders and customs appraisers and examiners.
The system is also seen to level the playing field for stakeholders as entries will be assessed as they come.
With EGDVS, BOC said it will be able to monitor how the appraisers and examiners perform, and how long it takes them to assess an entry.
EGDVS is the second phase of GDVS, which was pilot-tested and implemented at the Manila International Container Terminal and Port of Manila in October 2017.
EGDVS is separate and apart from BOC’s electronic-to-mobile (E2M) system and stakeholders will still need to lodge their entries in the E2M.
Under the process, the value-added service provider/accredited information processor (VASP/AIP) shall send the E2M-filed goods declaration/entry through web-service to the EDGVS.
The customs broker shall then log-in to the EGDVS with their authorized username and password. The customs broker shall retrieve the filed goods declaration to EGDVS then attach the required supporting documents. The customs broker must submit the hard copy of the filed goods declaration to BOC’s Entry Processing Unit (EPU) or any equivalent unit assigned to receive the documents.
Upon receipt of the registered E2M goods declaration and its supporting documents, the customs officer of the EPU or its equivalent unit shall conduct preliminary verification/comparison of the hard copy and the attached documents against the filed foods declaration in the EGDVS. Once verified, the customs officer shall click “Start Assign” button, then submit the documents to the Office of the Chief, FED, or its equivalent unit.
The examiner shall log-in to the EGDVS and check and acknowledge the assigned goods declaration then retrieve the documents form the Office of the Chief, FED or its equivalent unit. The examiner shall verify and meticulously compare the submitted hard copy of the goods declaration and attached documents submitted to EGDVS. After verification, the examiner will process the goods declaration in the E2M and update the status of the declaration through EGDVS.
The appraiser shall log-in to the EGDVS, check and acknowledge the assigned goods declaration in the EDGVS, process the goods declaration in the E2M and update the status of the declaration in the EGDVS.
The examiner and appraiser from the FED or its equivalent unit shall log-in individually to the EGDVS daily with cut-off time until 9:00AM only, in order to determine the goods declaration assigned to them on that dat. Once logged-in, a dashboard shall appear in the screen indicating the goods declaration number (single administrative document number) individually assigned to each appraiser and examiner, together with the attached documents.
In case additional documents are needed, the assigned examiner or appraiser will notify BOC stakeholders through the EGDVS system by filling up the “remarks” section in the system. The importers/customs broker will submit the scanned copy (pdf, png, or jpeg file) of the additional documents through their EGDVS account, while the hard copy will be submitted to the customs officer of the EPU or its equivalent unit, who in turn will forward the same to the FED chief or its equivalent.
Failure to comply with the provisions of CMO 10-2018 “may be grounds for administrative and disciplinary action against any erring customs personnel as provided under existing rules and regulations.” – Roumina Pablo
