BOC standardizes fees, charges

The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has issued an order that standardizes the service fees, dues, and charges it collects from various stakeholders.

In a news release on Friday, the BOC said it published Customs Administrative Order (CAO) No. 02.-2024 on May 11.

CAO 02-2024 covers all service fees, dues, and charges to be collected by the BOC from shipping lines, airlines, air express operators, importers, exporters, customs brokers, freight forwarders, consolidators, deconsolidators, logistics providers, transhippers, operators of Customs bonded warehouses, Free Zone locators, or registered enterprises, third party solutions providers, and all other entities served by the BOC.

The objectives of the order are as follows:

• To identify the different service fees, dues, and charges to be collected by the Bureau from various stakeholders for services rendered by Customs personnel
• To provide uniformity in the rates of service fees, dues, and charges levied by the Bureau
• To provide a mechanism for the payment of overtime work and other services provided by the BOC 

Service fees collected will be channeled into a Trust Fund, according to the BOC.

The BOC said the Trust Fund will be utilized for the payment of allowances and overtime services provided by Customs personnel.

Among the services covered by the service fees are vessel supervision, aircraft supervision, free zone locator supervision, annual supervision for authorized economic operators, underguarding for transfers, off-hours services, special flight supervision, and various processing and storage fees.

Meanwhile, customs dues and charges will be collected separately and will accrue to the General Fund, the BOC said.

The dues and charges encompass a wide range of transactions, including processing fees for goods declaration, balikbayan boxes, import and export transactions, appeals, legal opinions, accreditation charges, permit fees, registration charges, and service charges for document issuance and certification.

“The implementation of this Customs Administrative Order is a crucial step in furthering standardizing our fee structures and establishing clear guidelines on the collection of customs fees, dues, and charges,” said Customs Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio.

“We are doing this to establish uniformity, ensure transparency in our operations, and provide a mechanism for the payment of overtime work and other services delivered by the BOC,'' he added.

CAO 02-2024 will take effect on June 10, 2024, or 30 days after its publication. — VBL, GMA Integrated News