ARTA Chief Lauds BOC for Efforts Against Red-tape

THE Bureau of Customs (BOC) was recognized by the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) Director-General Jeremiah B. Belgica during his visit to the BOC yesterday, February 26, 2020, for its efforts to simplify frontline processes, automate systems and implement a zero-contact policy in compliance with ARTA’s thrust to reduce red tape and expedite government processes.

The ARTA chief also praised the Bureau for being one of the first agencies to comply with ARTA’s requirement to produce a citizen’s charter handbook. “You are a beacon of light to the BOC” stated Belgica to Commissioner Rey Leonardo B. Guerrero as he delivered his message thanking the BOC for the accommodation extended to the ARTA delegation.

DG Belgica further stressed the importance of inter-agency cooperation in achieving true change. He also added that the BOC was not part of the top 5 agencies to which ARTA is focused on and that indeed the current BOC administration is doing well.

“The BOC has been a great partner not only by the ARTA but also in the reforms that our President has been really pushing for,” Belgica added.

Recently, the Bureau issued a memorandum in compliance to ARTA Memorandum Circular No. 2020-02, directing BOC offices to conduct and submit on or before March 2, 2020 an inventory of all pending simple, complex and highly-technical transactions as of February 14, 2020, as well as those which are not acted upon beyond the prescribed processing time in accordance with the updated Citizen’s Charter, and to issue/release the application or request as automatically approved or automatically extended, as the case may be.

For his part, BOC Commissioner Guerrero thanked DG Belgica and ARTA for their visit and committed better coordination to further improve services and trade facilitation. “Rest assured that the BOC will work closely with ARTA in achieving effective and lasting reforms,” Guerrero said.