Dubai IT firm to complete BOC computerization

MANILA, Philippines - The proponents of the P418-million computerization program of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) vowed to complete the project early next year.

Dubai-based Webb Fontaine Group said the implementation of world-class customs management technologies through the Integrated Philippine Customs System (i-PCS) project would make transactions up to 20 times faster and more efficient compared with the current processes.

Webb Fontaine has partnered with Filipino-owned overseas recruitment and staffing agency Global Resource for Outsourced Workers Inc. (GROW) led by STI president Monico Jacob to put in place the latest customs management software crucial in achieving the goals of efficient revenue collection and trade facilitation of the BOC.

The project aims to effectively curb illicit trade and all forms of customs fraud.

Under the project, Webb Fontaine would roll out its latest TradeWorldManager© (TWM© V3) software to integrate critical BOC processes under a single environment.

The program would replace BOC’s ageing electronic-to-mobile (e2m) system, a hybrid of TWM-light and Automated System for Customs Data (ASYCUDA++), which have recently posed various technological and functional limitations and flaws.

Current e2m processes would be redesigned or ported into TWM© to make their functionalities much faster.

In addition, BOC would take advantage of TWM©’s built-in features including dynamic risk management system with compliance indicators; valuation module which can be triggered during selectivity and declaration capture; warehousing bonds module, the browsing of previous offenses (enforcement) of the stakeholder during examination; vehicles list within the declaration for the Land Transportation Office (LTO); and X-ray imaging system, and an oil and gas inventory system.

Once completed, Webb Fontaine said BOC would definitely benefit from a faster user interface, new programming methodologies and high-availability computers with 99.99-percent uptime making transactions 20 times faster through conventional internet providers and governmental network.

Aside from the Philippines, the Webb Fontaine Group has projects in Nigeria, Armenia, Bahrain, Benin, Cambodia, and Ghana.

However, Omniprime Marketing Inc. represented by Annabelle Margaroli has asked the Manila regional trial court to stop the project’s implementation through a temporary restraining order (TRO).

Manila RTC branch 173 Judge Amando Yanga issued a 20-day TRO preventing the BOC from awarding the IPCS contract to the tandem of Webb Fontaine and GROW.