Bureau of Customs to review used vehicle importation

MANILA, Philippines - The Bureau of Customs is set to review the importation policy of second hand vehicles in Port Irene at the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (CEZA), in Sta. Ana, Cagayan, to ensure that proper taxes are paid for every importation of used car into the country, a top Customs official said yesterday.

Angelito Alvarez, the new Customs commissioner said during a broadcasters’ forum at Hotel Rembrandt in Quezon City, that Port Irene is among the priority areas that they will look into, if proper taxes are paid in the importation of second hand vehicles.

“We will be reviewing the importation of second hand vehicles in Port Irene,” he said. He said although the importation of second hand cars in the Cagayan Free Port is legal as the vehicles are registered with the Land Transportation Office (LTO), they will review the records of all importations to determine if there are lapses in the payment of import duties.

Jaime Vicente, president of the Auto Rebuilders Industries in Cagayan (ARIC) in a text message to The STAR welcomed the move of the BOC saying that all the operations in the Free Port are transparent and above board.

“We the locators, the rebuilders and reconditioners, downstream industries and buyers have nothing to worry about,” he said.

Vicente said all second hand vehicles are properly and strictly assessed based on the red and blue book values of the vehicles, using manufacturers standards.

The Customs chief, however, said that the review of the importation on second hand vehicles will be limited to Port Irene and the crackdown on smuggled vehicles will continue in other ports of entry in the country.

Alvarez said they will continue with the weekly filing of smuggling cases against suspected big time smugglers in the country.