Morales, however, blamed it on the failure of top Customs officials to participate and push for the harmonization and streamlining of customs rules. “Once rules are streamlined, there will be a single procedure, a single document in the Eaga,” he said.
“We will be able to attract business because we will take out the elements of uncertainties in conducting business.”
Antonio Santos, chairman of the BIMP Eaga Business Council, said businessmen are looking for the most strategic, fastest and cheapest way to bring Eaga goods to the export market. He said that shipping services and cargo handling services that link the four Eaga countries are very limited and costly. He also said the often long-winded and circuitous customs procedures that vary from one country to another make it very difficult for businessmen to transact business in the Eaga.
Morales said harmonizing customs procedures among the four countries will address the common complaints among investors and will make it easier for governments in the four countries to monitor security threats in the region.
“A lot of businessmen complained they’re having difficulty in doing business in the Eaga because of differing customs rules from one country to another,” Morales told a press briefing after the two-day gathering.
“Once customs procedures are streamlined, there will be only one rate of duty in the Eaga,” he said. “Goods can easily be tracked down from the point of origin to the point of destination.”
He also said that full automation will also make it easier for customs officials to track down and stop smuggling activities and monitor security risks in the region. “Security risks have kept most investors away from the area for years,” he said.
Santos said that direct shipping services and trade links among the cities of Makassar in Indonesia’s Sulawesi province, Bintulu in Sarawak, Malaysia , Bitung in Indonesia and Davao and General Santos in Mindanao still need to be improved. “Aside from shipping out Eaga products at lower costs to export markets, these ports can also be used to bring in cheap goods, like construction materials and machinery from China,” Santos said.
He also said that existing direct air and sea passenger along Eaga trading routes are very limited. (Germelina Lacorte/Davao Today)
Trade
