MONDAY sEPIEMBER 16, 20191

'Probe Custom execs,

steel producers'
BUFLAY Party-list Rep. Joselito
Atieua on Sunday calJed on rhe
govemment to investigate the alleged
corruption bgtween Bueau of Customs
officials and big steel producers for
smuggling.
He lamented that the Customs
Modemization and Tariff Act was
passed in 2015, but was never
implemented, especially the Pre-
inspection provision under Section 440
that a containet van must be inspected
at their port of origio. '.The huge
amount oftax revenues the govemment
is losing due to xhis malpractice could
be used to fund inftastructure projects
under President Rodrigo Duterte's
build, build" build program aimed to'
f.x the fiansportation system to ease
the commuters' daily burden," he said.
He urged BOC officials to imPlement
the pre-shipment inspection of all
cargo vars entering the country.
Dante Jimenez, Presidential Anti-
Corruption Commission chairperson,
cited possible misdeclaration in the
importation documents submitted by
the big steel manufactuers.

t PAga-Aaa