IN an effort to ramp up a strategic partnership to tighten controls on imported vehicle registration and combat smuggling of vehicles, a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) was entered into by the Bureau of Customs (BOC) and the Land Transportation Office (LTO).
According to BOC Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno, the agreement shows a collaborative effort between the BOC and LTO in promoting transparency and coordinated enforcement.
He said: “This mutual cooperation with the LTO reinforces our shared goal of ensuring transparency, efficiency, and strict compliance with customs laws and other government regulations. By working together, we want to make sure that every vehicle import and registration process is handled with the highest standards of integrity.”
Nepomuceno added that the initiative reflects the BOC’s commitment under its new administration to uphold President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.’s directive for stronger and more unified action against smuggling in all its forms, ensuring that government revenues are properly collected.
Under the agreement, the two agencies will improve data sharing for key documents such as Certificates of Payment, Certificates of Registration and Official Receipts. They will also form a joint task force to lead enforcement operations against unlawfully-imported vehicles, including those misclassified or misdeclared, in violation of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA), and other related violations.
Too, the MOA is designed to safeguard the public by helping deter fraudulent practices, curbing unfair competition, and protecting government revenues vital to national development.
Further solidifying the partnership formed under this agreement, the LTO, led by Assistant Secretary Markus V. Lacanilao, turned over one unit of Lamborghini Urus to the BOC that was recently intercepted by LTO personnel in the Bonifacio Global City area, allowing the BOC to carry out the necessary legal and customs processes.
Within 30 days of signing the MOA, the BOC and LTO will form a Joint Technical Working Group (TWG) tasked with developing and implementing the necessary rules and guidelines for the effective implementation of the agreement.
This initiative highlights the BOC’s commitment under Commissioner Nepomuceno’s leadership to modernize operations, strengthen integrity and ensure that government services remain accountable, transparent and responsive to the public’s call for a more credible and reliable governance.
