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THE Bureau of Customs may again tap the services of Societe Generale
de Surveillance (SGS) after the two settled a lengthy court case on
unpaid services the Philippines owed the Switzerland-based firm.
Customs Commissioner Napoleon L. Morales said
the agency will outsource its ocular and credit line inspections to
private companies. He said the bureau is eyeing either SGS or Dun
and Bradstreet (D&B).
“The accreditation process, in due time we
will have this outsourced. So Customs now will no longer be the one
to make the ocular inspection of businesses. We’ll be hiring
services of a private company like SGS or D&B,” Morales told
reporters.
He said bidding for the service is no longer
necessary, adding Customs “won’t pay anything for the service
[as] private companies will shoulder the expenses.”
D&B’s is a global commercial database,
which contains more than 125 million business records.
“Once we implement this, Customs will no
longer accept cash or checks. This will be now in the bank-to-bank
transfer, which is also in line with AMLC,” Morales said,
referring to the Anti-Money Laundering Council’s standards against
dirty money.
SGS earlier struck an agreement with the
Philippine government on the settlement of receivables associated
with pre-shipment inspections contracts discontinued in 2002.
SGS said the government will pay 150 million
Swiss francs—equivalent to P6.2 billion—in two equal
installments this year until 2009.
The settlement will be recognized in SGS’
consolidated accounts as an exceptional item, the Swiss firm said.
SGS also said the agreement is registered as an
award of the International Center for the Settlement of Investment
Disputes.
The company sued the government for nonpayment
of over P6 billion in pre-shipment inspection services it rendered.
-- Chino S. Leyco
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