— and Myla Iglesias
TRUCKERS propose the release of cargoes through the Easy Clearance and Super Green Lane (SGL) schemes to unclog Manila ports.
Mary Zapata, vice president of the Confederation of Truckers Associations of the Philippines, said this would hasten the release of shipments awaiting clearances from the Bureau of Customs (BOC) and the shipping lines.
According to Zapata, due to the limited operations of, and skeleton staffing at, the BOC, the shipping lines and the banks, the whole process of getting the clearances to release cargoes is taking longer than usual.
Zapata said to qualify for Easy Clearance or SGL, consignees should submit an undertaking they will complete the documentations of their cargoes once the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) is lifted.
“The delay in the processing of documents break the supply the chain,” she said.
Zapata said truckers are equally hit by the slowdown of pullout of cargoes as this has limited their trips.
Movement of trucks are also hampered by the inconsistent implementation of the checkpoints and lockdowns in some local government units.
“This is not the time for blame game, stakeholders should unite and cooperate,” Zapata said.
Almost full
The Philippine Ports Authority said yard utilization at the Manila international ports — composed of the Manila International Container Terminal and the Manila South Harbor — is now almost 100 percent as majority of cargoes now remain idle following the declaration of the ECQ.
Among the measures being considered to help free needed space at the container yard are forfeiture of overstaying cargoes in favor of government, reducing the cargo clearing period and free storage period from the current allowable time, and the imposition of heavy fines, penalties and storage fees on cargo owners in order to force them to withdraw their overstaying cargoes.
Based on a proposed joint memorandum circular (JMC), all cargoes that have been discharged from the vessels for more than 30 days, and remain at the port, should be withdrawn within five days from the date the JMC becomes effective. Otherwise, the cargoes will be declared abandoned. Once declared abandoned, such cargoes may be forfeited in favor of the government.
Code red
Meanwhile, Maritime Industry Authority in a report amid code red sublevel 2, 365 shipping operations were recorded nationwide from March 30 to 31 of which 262 passenger ships and 103 cargo ships.
Almost 80 percent of cargo shipping operations were completed under normal conditions compared to passenger ships at 27 percent.
