BOC-CDO ‘Project FAST-CARE’ lauded
14TH ‘Customer Care Center’ inaugurated
THE Bureau of Customs, thru the Port of Cagayan de Oro, earned plaudits from multi-national companies based in Mindanao with the successful launching of its ‘Project FAST-CARES’ that seeks to release bulk cargo shipments within 30 minutes.
In a letter of appreciation sent to District Collector John Simon, Philippine Sinter vice president, Rey Santos, said the new procedure is a boon to businesses based in Mindanao.
“This is a very good procedure, very good for us multinational companies because it is very hard before and time consuming in getting clearances but now, we can do it in 25 minutes,” Santos said.
A subsidiary of JFE Steel Corporation of Japan, the company’s shipment of 27,500 metric tons of ‘Russian Anthracite Coal’ was released in just under 25 minutes last November 11, 2020.
The project refers to the ‘First ASEAN Standard Time Cargo Releasing System’ that set the standard time of 30 minutes for all bulk and break-bulk cargos from the time of electronic lodgment of customs declaration to its actual receipt at the importer’s premises.
As one of the most trusted traders engaged in the movement of bulk and break-bulk cargoes in Northern Mindanao, the Philippine Sinter was among the selected companies of the Port of Cagayan de Oro to participate in the project.
The release of the shipment surpassed the 26-minutes release record during the project’s pilot run last October 28, 2020, involving the bulk shipment of Pilipinas Kao, Inc., another project participant.
Atty. Roswald Joseph Pague, Head of Office of the Strategy Management (OSM) of the Port of Cagayan de Oro, also expects for more trusted companies of the BOC to benefit from the project.
Simon, for his part, said the project is “proof that processes can be streamlined and that a world class customs administration can be achieved.”
Meanwhile, the Port also made another milestone after the opening of its own ‘Customer Care Center’ (CCC) that coincided with its 70TH anniversary celebration last November 18,2020.
The CCC-CDO is already the 14th facility opened by the BOC under Comm. Rey Leonardo Guerrero.
The CCC is a modern customs service center that will provide centralized document receiving and releasing service, information kiosks, gate pass issuance, payment booth and other customs services.
The facility will serve as a one-stop shop for stakeholders with concerns on various customs services and will be manned by trained customs service officers of the BOC.
The CCC is one of the programs of the Bureau in compliance to RA 11032 or the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act and forms part of Guerrero’s ’10-Point Priority Program’ for this year in the area of trade facilitation.
The CCC is designed to streamline the processes of the bureau and to promote zero contact policy in support of BOC’s directive to lessen face-to-face transaction with stakeholders.
