As part of the Bureau of Customs’ (BOC) efforts to enhance trade facilitation and promote transparency, the agency through the Account Management Office (AMO) reported on the statistics on accreditation for 2021.

It was reported that for 2021, 16,053 regular importers and 483 non-regular importers were actively accredited while 2,345 licensed customs brokers were accredited to transact with the Bureau.

AMO also reported on efforts to physically inspect facilities and offices of aspiring importers to ensure the legitimacy of their application and avoid dummy accounts that may be used for smuggling and illegal activities. A total of 1,168 sites or offices were inspected, 279 of which were found to be non-existent which led to the denial of their application.

Lastly, 690 importers and 220 customs brokers were revoked of their accreditation as they were found to have violated the provisions of RA 10863 also known as the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA). The revocation is part of the office’s continuous monitoring and post-evaluation of importers and brokers.

Through the implementation of BOC Customer Care Centers and online systems for accreditation, AMO continues to provide expedient service through implementing Commissioner Rey Leonardo B. Guerrero’s directive of no contact policy while promoting trade facilitation.