MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Ports Authority is looking at a working timeline of less than half a year until June to implement the Trusted Operator Program-Container Registry and Monitoring System (TOP-CRMS) program, which the PPA considers as a possible solution to the high logistics charges levied on truckers and other logistics players – the container deposit and missing empty container charges.
Lawyer Jay Daniel Santiago, PPA general manager, said that they were in the process of getting inputs from stakeholders on the TOP-CRMS system to improve the project, as well as completing submission of all documentary requirements with concerned government agencies, primarily the Anti Red Tape Authority to show that it will facilitate and not add red tape in the logistics process.
“We have an internal deadline which I cannot disclose now,” Santiago said. “But hopefully, best case scenario, we want to launch this before June.”
Santiago stressed, however, that the June timeline was a moving target as they want to make sure that they get all the inputs from the logistics sector players to be affected.
He stressed that the TOP-CRMS was being implemented because of the persistent complaints of the high logistics charges of shipping lines on truckers and other players in the supply chain.
“We are only implementing this because of the complaints. If they will eliminate the container deposit, I can say outright, we can stop the P980 (TOP-CRMS insurance system),” Santiago told reporters in a mix of Filipino and English in a recent interview.
“The empty container charges, that continues to be a problem, so we will still implement that (under the TOP-CRMS),” he added.
“We are open to inputs from stakeholders. Because we want this to be really usable and to really address the concern, that it will truly solve the problem. We are open to tweak the system to accommodate as much of the concerns raised,” Santiago said.
The Chamber of Customs Brokers Inc. (CCBI) and Confederation of Truckers Association of the Philippines (CTAP) had announced their declaration of support to PPA for its current thrust to implement the TOP-CRMS program.
The TOP-CRMS has been offered as a digitalization strategy conceptualized by the PPA to resolve the perennial problem of high and unregulated container deposits and missing empty container charges.
Adones Carmona, CCBI president, said they are supporting the TOP-CRMS as a viable solution that can eradicate the problem of skyrocketing container deposits with importers and brokers.
“That’s why we stand against this issue, and I believe it is our innate responsibility since we are the victims of the high container deposits,” Carmona told reporters.
Mary Zapanta, president of CTAP, said the program presented by the PPA general manager is viable in implementing an alternative insurance fee of only P980 compared to the current system wherein a deposit fee of P15,000 per shipping container is being imposed on truckers.
“I think it is one of the potential solutions to our problems. We are open to it, and we welcome it,” Zapanta earlier told The STAR.
“Before, the fees ranged from P10,000 to P15,000 for a 40-footer shipping container. Now, it costs up to P120,000. We hope that this insurance fee system could be a solution,” she added.