Mariing tinututulan ng Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) ang isinusulong na Trusted Operator Program – Container Registry and Monitoring System (TOP-CRMS) ng Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) na anila’y walang legal na basehan.
Maliban sa ARTA, kontra din ang 24 influential business groups, kabilang ang limang kilalang foreign chamers na nag-ooperate sa bansa.
Pinuri ng Alliance of Concerned Truck Owners and Organizations (ACTOO), Alliance of International Shipping Lines (AISL) at Alliance of Container Yard Operators of the Philippines (ACYOP) ang desisyon ng evaluation ng ARA sa Regulatory Impact Statement (RIS) ng panukalang implementing operational guidelines of TOP-CRMS na inilabas noong Hulyo 25. Sabi nila, maraming kamalian sa nagturang panukala ng PPA.
“The business community commends ARTA’s unwavering dedication to protecting the interests of stakeholders and fostering a conducive environment for economic growth as mandated by the Ease of Doing Business Law or Republic Act 11032,” sabi ng grupo.
“ARTA has unequivocally put the final nail in the coffin of TOP-CRMS,” dagdag pa nilla.
Sabi naman ni Patrick Ronas, President ng AISL, “ARTA’s recommendation fully aligns with the concerns raised by industry operators, who firmly believe that the PPA’s proposal would have detrimental effects on the economy”.
Binigyang-diin niya na ang PPA AO 04-2021ay makakadagdag ng P35 bilyong annual importation cost na magreresulta sa pagtaas muli ng inflation sa bansa.
“ARTA’s recommendation is in perfect alignment with what our group has consistently pointed out – the inefficiency, duplicity, and detrimental effects of PPA’s TOP-CRMS on truck owners and operators,” ayon naman kay University of the Philippines Professor Rina Papa, ACTOO Director.
“On behalf of off-terminal and off-dock container storage facility operators in the country, we thank ARTA for its recommendations and for preventing what could have been severe negative consequences of TOP-CRMS. This arbitrary project would have rendered the industry dead if implemented,” said Roger Lalu, chairman ng ACYOP.
Sa kanilang report, sinabi ng ARTA na ang mga bayarin (fees) na kasama sa pagpapatupad ng TOP-CRMS ay magreresulta lang sa financia burden ng stakeholders, partikular sa paggamit ng PPA-authorized Container Staging Facilities sa labas na pantalan.
“ARTA’s findings will be immensely helpful to Senator Grace Poe’s Committee on Public Service as they diligently study the TOP-CRMS. With ARTA’s findings, we expect the committee to recommend a total revocation of TOP-CRMS,” sabi pa ng grupo.
“ARTA’s examination revealed that there exists no sound legal or empirical basis to justify the need for such a new regulation or for the PPA’s interference in instances where evidence indicates a genuine issue or a legitimate need for intervention, in accordance with Principle 2 of the Philippine Good Regulatory Principle (PGRP),” dagdag pa nila.
Isa pang isyu na nadiskubre ng ARTA ay ang magkaslungat ng mandato ng PPA, bilang isang regulator at port operation, na magreresulta sa koleksuyon ng dagdag na fees kung oobigahin ang mga stakeholder na magprehistro para sa accreditation ng TOP-CRMS.
“ARTA’s firm stand against the imprudent TOP-CRMS has averted a potential catastrophe for industries that would have otherwise been burdened with unnecessary costs and stifling regulations,” saad pa ni Ronas.
