The Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) has recommended extending the moratorium on a policy requiring truckers to secure permit to operate (PTO) to be allowed to transact at port terminals.
The Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc. (Philexport) in its newsletter said ARTA, in a dialogue participated in by truckers’ groups and government agencies, recommended the suspension of MC 19-2021 while a regulatory impact assessment (RIA) is being conducted to identify its benefits and costs to stakeholders.
Philexport said at the meeting, ARTA said it will start reviewing the merits of the issue and may refer it to the ARTA Legal Department for possible filing of cases. ARTA said it will also elevate the issue to the Office of the President.
The agency added it is open to providing the venue for continued dialogue between the truckers’ groups and the government agencies.
The MC issued by the Philippine Ports Authority in October requires truckers to obtain a certificate of accreditation and a PTO to be allowed to transact at port terminals.
The Alliance of Concerned Truck Owners and Organizations (ACTOO) during the meeting also sought clarification on the basis of the amount being collected by PPA and the rationale for having to pay two policy instruments being implemented by the same body.
Under PPA Administrative Order 06-2019 issued in 2019, all port service providers must secure a CA from the authority before the PTO is issued.
Last November 6, PPA announced it was reducing the processing fees for all PTO applications filed by transport service providers before the end of the year to ease their burden. The processing fee for the PTO will revert to the old rates starting Jan. 1, 2022, but that for the issuance of a CA will remain unchanged.
PPA official Rey del Moro Jr. said he will relay the recommendations to the upper management, including extending the moratorium on MC 19-2021, preparing an RIA for the circular, and drafting a response letter to ARTA’s policy recommendations. – Irma Isip
