Customs Employees Union Plans To Protest Against The Installation of CCTV

As a step to reduce corruption, CCTV cameras are being installed at the transaction areas and payment windows in the Bureau of Customs.

However the Employees Union in the bureau said they might bring and question this in court and they are also planning to protest against the installation of cctv.

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BOC Commissioner Alberto Lina said, there should be no problem with this if they are not hiding anything. 

According to a survey last year, the Bureau of Customs is considered as the most corrupt government agency. It received a very bad rating of -55.

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One of the solutions they are also suggesting is to increase the salary of employees. 
  

©2016 THOUGHTSKOTO

Lina Said No Tax Increase on Balik-Bayan Boxes But He Increased Tax on Freight Forwarders By 125%

Back in August OFWs accepted the apology made by BOC  BOC Chief Alberto Lina after the clamor of OFWs when the Bureau started opening balik-bayan boxes with the plan to implement strict rules on custom tax. He later  said, "To our overseas Filipino workers, the Bureau of Customs is not increasing taxes on the balikbayan boxes..."

But then, in September, the Bureau of Customs increased the tax, perhaps not directly on the boxes sent by OFWs but  on shipping containers to be paid by freight forwarders. From Php 80,000 the tax collected on a shipping container was increased to Php 120,000 and then to Php 180,000 in October, a hefty 125% increase in couple of months.

In a heated argument with Senator Recto, when the Senator said that the increase in tax would eventually be shouldered by OFWs, and will add approximately Php 250 per box,  Lina insisted that they are collecting it from freight forwarders and will not be shouldered by OFWs. 

After the tax increase were imposed, did it really affect the OFWs or BOC Chief Lina was correct?

PEBA made some query among its OFW community in Facebook with the following comments regarding increase on shipping charges:

Dahil sa pagtaas ng duty tax ng shipping container ng mga balik-bayan boxes, from Ph80,000 ngayon Php 180,000 na. May...
Posted by PEBA, Inc. on Thursday, November 5, 2015

©2015 THOUGHTSKOTO

New Memorandum Cancels the Random Inspection of BBB, Lina Also Apologized To OFWs

Once again, the unity showed by OFWs against the opening of balik-bayan boxes by the Bureau of Customs, gave them the victory. Today a memorandum order has been released which bans  the random checking of balik-bayan boxes. The new memorandum order shall repeal any existing order, or circular that is in conflict with it. 

Instead of random inspection,  boxes shall undergo mandatory x-ray scanning. Boxes that had been screened using x-ray and found anomalous shall be investigated and inspected 100% in the presence of designated officers and representatives from the freight forwarder, OWWA or OFW association representative. 

Today,  Customs Commissioner Alberto Lina also apologized to OFWs.

©2015 THOUGHTSKOTO