Memorandum Circular no. 2005-017 issued on 30 March 2005 reminds economic zone export-producer enterprises that import shipments in sealed containers should be opened only in the presence of PEZA and Bureau of Customs officials.

To prevent any delays in the opening of import shipments in sealed containers of economic zone export-producer enterprises, the following guidelines are hereby prescribed:

1. PEZA Enterprise Assistance Department (EAD) Officers and/or personnel shall supervise the opening and examination of import shipments in sealed containers from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. during weekdays.

2. In addition, upon the prior written request of economic zone export-producer enterprises, PEZA-EAD Officers and personnel shall make themselves available to supervise the opening and examination of import shipments in sealed containers beyond regular working hours on weekdays, as well as during weekends and holidays.

 

Written requests for PEZA-EAD supervision of the opening and examination of import shipments in sealed containers beyond 5:00 p.m. on any weekday should be submitted to the PEZA-EAD no later than 3:00 p.m. of the same day. For the opening and examination of import shipments in sealed containers during a weekend and holiday, the written requests should be submitted to the PEZA-EAD on or before 3:00 p.m. of the Friday or working day preceding the weekend or holiday, respectively.

 

The Request Form may be downloaded from www.peza.gov.ph.

3. As much as possible, PEZA-EAD should fully supervise the opening and examination of all import shipments in sealed containers. However, where this is not possible, based on a selectivity criteria developed for economic zone export-producer enterprises, and/or information received regarding specific import shipments, the PEZA-EAD may waive supervision of the opening and examination of import shipments in sealed containers.

 

Specifically, between 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on weekdays, PEZA-EAD Officers or personnel may decide simply to sign the CEWE for an inport shipment in a container without opening it and examining the contents.

 

Similarly, for import shipments in sealed containers that are expected to be delivered to an economic zone after working hours of a weekday or during a weekend or a holiday, PEZA-EAD Officers or personnel shall indicate in the Request Forms submitted by the economic zone export-producer enterprises the decision to waive supervision of the opening and examination of the import shipment.

4. The economic zone export-producer enterprise should submit to the PEZA-EAD, on the same or next working day, the CEWE, Cargo Manifest, invoice and broken PEZA seal pertaining to an import shipment in sealed container, supervision on the opening and examination of which was waived by the PEZA-EAD.

This Memorandum Order takes effect immediately.

Adopted: 01 Sept. 2005

(SGD.) LILIA B. LIMA
Director General