Traders bewail increased red-tape layers on imports

By Riza Lozada

The Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc. (Philexport) sought from the Philippine National Police (PNP) clear rules on the securing of permits for the importation and distribution of regulated chemicals. 

In a recent inter-agency meeting on regulated chemicals, the same concern was also raised with the Export Development Council (EDC) committee on trade policies and procedure simplification, led by Francis Ferrer, where traders asked for the complete process flow from Maj. Soledad Arciso, chief of the PNP’s licensing and permits section.Most industry stakeholders expressed broad knowledge gaps on the matter.

The PNP is the latest of many agencies that importers must approach to secure permits to handle regulated materials, aside from the Food and Drug Administration, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, among others, Philexport said.

The Semiconductors and Electronics Industries in the Philippines Inc., led by President Dan Lachica, also cited the benefits, should some imported chemicals be deregulated based on exemptions outlined in international protocols.

Entrepreneurs also pushed for a higher threshold on restricted chemicals, noting that many manufacturers just need very small amounts, and that a substantial bulk would actually be needed to produce explosives.

Ma. Flordeliza Leong, Philexport assistant vice president, said putting up a one-stop shop that will issue all the licensing requirements for regulated chemicals will also benefit the business community.

However, PDEA Director Helen Maita Reyes said the government had set up one-stop shops for imports clearances, but this was not patronized by companies, forcing them to close the service.

The participants agreed to look into the reason the scheme failed. Among the reasons traders gave earlier for the failure of the scheme included the location and the lack of the authorized signatories on-site.

Arciso then committed to bring up all the stake-holders’ concerns to higher officials, particularly revisiting the threshold, as well as recategorizing the high-risk and low-risk chemicals up for exemptions. She expressed hopes to be able to convey “positive results” by November after the PNP consultation with stakeholders on September 22.

Traders said the government should address their concerns immediately due to the expiry on October 31 of the three-month temporary chemical-import license.