The Bureau of Customs (BOC) reform program goes on second gear. While waiting for the Department of Finance’s (DOF) approval on his proposed reshuffling of district collectors, Customs Commissioner Ruffy Biazon recently ordered all customs deputy commissioners, district collectors and subport collectors to create a public assistance/complaints desk in their respective units.
In a September 3, Memorandum, Biazon instructed all concerned customs officials to submit to his office within 10 days from the issuance of the memo, the names of the designated public assistance point person, public assistance hotline numbers and email addresses of their respective public assistance and complaints desks.
According to Biazon, the public assistance and complaints desk shall handle all inquiries regarding BOC processes, as well as complaints against customs officials. The Commissioner, however, stressed that all complaints against customs officials/personnel received by the corresponding public assistance and complaints desk must be forwarded to the Office of the Commissioner’s (OCOM) Public Assistance/Complaints Desk which is handled by Atty. Jennifer A. Lagbas. The OCOM Public Assistance/Complaints Desk can be reached at tel. no. (632) 527-1935 and through its ocompacd@gmail.com email address.
The Commissioner said that, apart from the organizational and moral reforms program in the BOC, he is also strongly pushing for transparency in the bureau. “I believe that opening up the customs processes to the public and being sensitive to stakeholders’ needs and complaints against the BOC and its officials through the public assistance/complaints desk shall be a good start for real reforms in the BOC.” Biazon said, adding that “Moreover, this could be a deterrent to corruption in the bureau.”
According to Biazon, an informed public and stakeholders about Customs processes and their options, should they be harassed by corrupt customs officials, shall keep customs misfits from bothering them.
Already, the BOC, in cooperation with the BOC Press Corps, has implemented the Customs Procedures Immersion Program for the Media. The program involves a series of lectures about customs procedures to the over 100 accredited reporters in the Bureau of Customs. Starting with its first lecture on Monday (September 9, 2013), Customs officials shall educate and enlighten the BOC reporters on how things are done in their respective units.
