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[av_heading heading=’Release rules on ‘balikbayan’ boxes, Recto urges Customs ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY PRINCE GOLEZ
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MANILA – The Bureau of Customs has been urged to immediately issue the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) on the privileges for balikbayan boxes.
The Customs was set to release the IRR for the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA) in December.
Signed into law by then President Benigno Aquino III in May, the (CMTA) exempts balikbayan boxes worth P150,000 and below from duties and taxes
Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto lamented that, as early as September, overseas Filipino workers have already been shipping their balikbayan boxes.
“Hindi kasalanan ng mga OFWs (overseas Filipino workers) natin kung natagalan ang pagbuo ng implementing rules for the CMTA. Matagal nang pasado ang batas na iyan at dapat lamang na makinabang na ang mga OFWs natin diyan,” Recto said.
Recto stressed the absence of the new law’s IRR does not prevent the government from complying with a portion of it.
The Customs can come up with its own order covering the particular section of the CMTA that deals with higher balikbayan box values, he said.
“They can even copy-paste the self-explanatory pertinent sections and display them near airport baggage carousels and disseminate it through social media,” the lawmaker said.
Recto filed Senate Bill No. 2913 or the Balikbayan Box Law in August 2015 after the Customs’ plan to open and inspect balikbayan boxes.
The measure was incorporated into the CMTA as Section 800 by the Senate committee on ways and means./PN
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