Importers slam Bureau of Customs-Iloilo head
A group of importers from Iloilo City has called for the removal of the OIC District Collector of the Bureau of Customs - Port of Iloilo for alleged mismanagement that resulted to poor revenue collection for the said agency and for allegedly extorting money from importers.
A letter complaint signed by the group called Concerned Importers of Iloilo City alleged that the “autocratic and selfish style of management” of OIC District Collector Roberto Madrid causes “not only confusion among the employees of the Bureau but also faction and misunderstanding among them resulting to unsatisfactory services toward us.”
Aside from mismanagement, the group claimed, Madrid is “very harsh in dealing with importers and brokers.” They alleged that Madrid and his executive assistant Jose Naig “demand preposterous amounts as a condition from us before and every time we enter our importations at the Port of Iloilo.”
Further, the group claimed that Madrid also demands illegal payments every time they file their individual accreditation or permit to import and every time they file their individual yearly renewal of accreditation or permit.
“As a result of these anomalous and unscrupulous activities, we, the importers decided to stop importing at the Port of Iloilo because these will adversely affect or damage our respective businesses but diverted and continue to enter our importations at other Ports usually at the Port of Cebu and Manila. While other importers totally stopped importing because they were tremendously affected and discouraged by these unscrupulous activities, some of us diverted and entered our importations to other Ports for the purpose of avoiding these harsh terms and conditions imposed upon us by Mr. Madrid and Naig,” the complainants said.
The group cited that the Bureau of Customs - Port of Iloilo registered a deficit in its collection target for the first two quarters of this year. Data they obtained from the Bureau of Customs showed that the actual revenue collections from January 2009 to June 2009 is only P46,016,701.28 while the aggregate monthly target is P106,134,000 or a huge actual deficit of P60,117,299.
The News Today learned that the Bureau of Customs central office issued a memorandum to Madrid warning him of the Port of Iloilo's failure to meet its assigned collection target for the first three months of 2009.
“As long as Mr. Madrid remains at the Port of Iloilo, many of us will be disgruntled and discouraged and will not any more enter our importations at the Port of Iloilo. These anomalous activities will not only tremendously and adversely affect us, the importers, but also the brokers and other investors who are planning to import and do business here in Iloilo,” the group added in their letter complaint.
The News Today tried to reach Madrid yesterday for his side but the staff at the information desk of Bureau of Customs - Port of Iloilo said that Madrid went to Bacolod City and probably would proceed to Manila.
Naig, on the other hand, was in Kalibo yesterday and told TNT through text message to just get in touch with Madrid regarding the issue.