BOC tightens watch on oil imports

Customs Commissioner Napoleon Morales has ordered the strict monitoring of all petroleum-based imports to achieve a P192-billion revenue collection this year.

In a letter to Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla, Morales asked for a complete list of oil companies engaged in the downstream oil industry, their products, addresses and shore tank deposits.

Morales has instructed Customs district collectors to submit by tomorrow a complete list of oil imports in their jurisdictions, and to include in their reports the depots of each company, their sizes and volume capacity, and the products stored in these tanks.

Morales also clarified from Lotilla whether the use of barges as alternative storage to shore depots has been authorized by the Department of Energy.

Morales has proposed the accreditation of all cargo surveyors to ensure the competency of third-party companies to confirm the volumes and products of incoming oil cargo imports.

The Bureau of Customs (BOC) will require oil companies to indicate in their request for permits the specific product, volume and depots of discharge, Morales said.

Meanwhile, a National Bureau of Investigation official said yesterday smuggling could be solved if the BOC will cooperate with the NBI in investigating the case.

"But NBI cannot help (the BOC) if they won’t help us and keep their records," the NBI official said. "Hindi naman pwedeng kami lang ang mag-verify, wala naman samin ang records (It’s not enough that we make the verification because the records are not with us)," the official told reporters yesterday.

The NBI official said they have information that Customs officials are allowing smuggling by importers so as not to discourage them from bringing their businesses to the country.

"Ordinarily, container vans are not really inspected," he said. "Only shipments that are on alert status are being inspected. This is why there are many cases of technical smuggling in the bureau."

Ilocos Norte Rep. Imee Marcos has accused Morales of "protecting" three big-time smugglers linked to First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo.

Morales has ordered the bureau’s Intelligence and Enforcement Group to look into the allegations of Marcos and coordinate with the NBI.

Deputy Customs Commissioner for Intelligence Celso Templo said the investigation would not only focus on documents and statements issued by both camps.

A six-man BOC team will coordinate with the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group to validate the allegations of Marcos, he added. — Edu Punay