Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 28) — The Bureau of Customs (BOC) wants to re-establish the Philippines Customs Laboratory (PCL) to beef up efforts against smuggling and increase its revenue collection.
Relaunching the customs laboratory could help determine the correct tariff classification and imposable duties on imports, as well as deter any attempts of technical smuggling, the BOC said in a statement on Tuesday.
According to Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio, the challenges in setting up the PCL include the lack of facilities and obsolete laboratory equipment.
The BOC, nevertheless, remains committed to pursuing this plan, he said.
“The re-establishment of the Philippines Customs Laboratory is an opportunity to further enhance border security efforts, increase revenue collection, and foster international cooperation in customs practices,” Rubio said.
He made this commitment during a series of meetings with officials from the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), whose experts provided “intensive” technical training on the operation of a customs laboratory and equipment.
“This partnership with KOICA will contribute significantly to our vision of a modernized and credible Customs administration,” he said.
