Officials of the Bureau of Customs Project Management Unit (BOC-PMU) met with representatives of the World Bank and discussed matters to further improve the services especially at the Manila International Container Port (MICP).
In a statement, the BOC said World Bank representatives led by Alexandre Hugo Laure were introduced to various projects that are currently being implemented under the Philippine Customs Modernization Project.
"The project aims to improve the operational efficiency of the Bureau while lessening trade costs. The initiative will also strengthen the economic state of the nation," the statement read.
The team also had a walk-through at the Customer Care Center to inspect the processing of documents at the Port and facilitated the site visit of MICP facilities and a run-through of the International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI) processes to conclude the tour.
In the past few years, the BOC has embarked on an aggressive modernization program not only to improve its services but also to address concerns relating to corruption--a negative tag that has hounded the BOC over the years.
BOC Commissioner Yogi Filemon Ruiz said they have already started the digitalization process in order to lessen the contact between BOC employees and its clients.
In an interview, Ruiz said face-to-face transaction is prone to corruption and as a counter-measure, he said all transactions are now being conducted online.
Another one, according to Ruiz, is the prohibition for BOC to clients to directly interact with its employees through the Customer Care Center.