‘Imported meat’ under PCAG scrutiny

THE Bureau of Customs (BOC) has allayed the concern of the country’s hog and poultry raisers on the alleged rampant “technical smuggling” of pork meat and dressed chicken that also allegedly contributed to billions in losses to the local industry and to the looming crisis in food supply in Metro Manila.

Atty. Vincent ‘Jett’ Maronilla, BOC spokesperson and assistant commissioner in charge of the ‘Post Clearance Audit Group’ (PCAG), in a talk with Pinoy Exposé, said that of the 21 application for PDPs (prior disclosure program) his office issued last month, 17 of them were for importers of ‘mechanically deboned meat’ (MDM). He added that from the total, the BOC expects to collect additional revenue of around P36.6 million.

Maronilla also pointed out that from the P1.2 billion in additional revenue PCAG collected last year from the 168 issued Audit Notification Letters (ANLs) they issued, 60 of these were issued to importers of MDM during the last quarter 2020.

Maronilla made the clarification after former AGAP Partylist representative, Nicanor Briones, claimed that technical smuggling of poultry and pork meat is among the three major problems presently plaguing domestic hog and poultry growers, aside from increased importations and lack of financial support from the Department of Agriculture.

Briones, during the ‘Report to the Nation’ media forum of the National Press Club (NPC) last January 29, 2021, further claimed that smugglers are declaring their import of pork and poultry as ‘MDM’ which is presently levied at only 5 percent import duty, compared to the present 40 percent import duty for dressed chicken and pork meat.

But, added, Maronilla, it is not only the BOC, but also, the DA that also inspects all imported agricultural products to guard the country from ASF (African Swine Fever) contaminated meat.

“As soon as all pork and poultry shipments are released from customs, these are delivered to cold storage facilities where the DA conducts another round of physical inspection to check on the presence of ASF prior to actual release to the importer or consignee,” Maronilla explained.

The official also stressed that on the instruction of Comm. Rey Leonardo Guerrero, all contaminated imported meat are immediately destroyed to prevent them from being pilfered by unscrupulous elements and sell them to the unsuspecting public.

Meanwhile, the BOC is off to a good start in its revenue collection effort after surpassing last month’s revenue target by more than P3 billion “despite the devastating effect” last year to the global trading environment of the COVID-19 pandemic, Maronilla said.

Quoting from the report of the Financial Management Service (FMS), Maronilla said the hefty gain was achieved with 11 collection districts, out of the bureau’s 17 collection districts, contributing to the effort.

For January, Maronilla said the BOC’s actual surplus is P3.051 billion, after collecting P47.143 billion, from its target of P44.092 billion, or a positive deviation of 6.92 percent.

In 2020, the bureau exceeded its annual revenue collection target by 6.6 percent, or P33.5 billion, collecting P539.7 billion against its P506.2 billion target.

Last month’s major performers are the following ports:

Ports of Manila, NAIA, Batangas, Legazpi, Iloilo, Tacloban, Cagayan De Oro, Zamboanga, Davao, Subic, and Clark.