Mexico, Philippines Sign Customs Pact

By RAYMUND F. ANTONIO

MANILA, Philippines ? Taking serious steps to become a ?trade facilitation? agency, the Bureau of Customs has signed an agreement with its counterpart agency in Mexico on Friday at the historic landmark Manila to boost trade, border control and protection between the countries.

Customs Commissioner Ruffy Biazon and Mexican Customs General Administrator Gerardo Perdomo have agreed to have a Mutual Administrative Assistance on Customs Matters.

The agreement signing was witnessed by Mexican Ambassador to the Philippines Javier Calvillo Unna and Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Del Rosario.

?While this event will definitely be a big boost to the country?s trade with Mexico, this also confirms our long and strong ties with the Mexicans,? Biazon said.

Biazon said the trade between the Philippines and Mexico ?goes well beyond the old galleon trade days.?

Under the Agreement, the two countries will move towards strengthening of the application of Customs laws and the conduct of investigation and information sharing that will curb smuggling activities.

?The agreement practically tightened the customs operational procedures between the Philippines and Mexico. This would eventually translate in more efficient revenue collection for all trade between the two countries,? Biazon said.

Apart from border protection, Biazon pointed out that the mutual cooperation with their Mexican counterpart is part of the BOC?s overall plan to enhance the country's trade facilitation with the global economy.

The ?force of resistance? in the reforms being implemented by the BOC has hampered not only its efforts to restore public's trust in the agency but it has also posed a negative impact in trade facilitation.

The BOC has been faced with many challenges to become a trade facilitation agency such as the ?undue bureaucratic red tape.?

?In my eleven months in the BOC, I have discovered that reforms are not that easy to implement, since the force of change is immediately faced with the force of resistance,? said Biazon.

These obstacles, he said should not make the transfer and movement of goods difficult under international agreements and local laws.

The BOC is actually tasked to provide the balance between revenue collection, border protection and trade facilitation.

It is a balancing act however that the BOC appears to have not perfected yet.

Source: http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/371722/mexico-philippines-sign-customs-pact

herniated disc sacramento kings luke scott tom benson royals nicole richie lyme disease symptoms