April release of PNP-controlled chemicals list expected

IF PLANS will push through, the Philippine National Police (PNP) memorandum on the list of controlled chemicals will be implemented in May.

This new schedule for the implementation has been given after the plan to release the final draft of the implementing rules and guidelines (IRR) of the memorandum to exporters to review in the last week of March has been moved to April.

Emmarita Mijares, Export Development Council deputy executive director, said a final draft of the IRR is expected to be sent to Philexport on April 6 for review.

Mijares said after this, exporters and other stakeholders in the industry have until April 8 to comment on any of the provisions contained in the memorandum.

She said the EDC also targets April 15 for the signing and approval of the IRR, with effectivity and implementation on May 7 this year.

“The new PNP memorandum is long term and will rationalize the needs of the (export) industry, security, as well as remove additional costs to exporters,”  said Export Development Council Executive Director Senen Perlada during the Philippine Export Development Plan 2015-2017 briefing yesterday.

Philexport-Cebu executive director Federico Escalona added that the delay was mostly due to many export organizations, Philexport included, reviewing the draft of the IRR of the memorandum.

“It will address everybody’s concern because stakeholders are being asked for their opinion. Hopefully, we will be able to streamline and ease export processes on chemicals with this,” Escalona said.

While the final draft of the IRR is still unavailable, Mijares revealed some of the highlights of the IRR.

One of the biggest complaints of exporters at present is the high cost of permits, and the number of permits needed to import and export items, she said.

Exporters have at least eight permits to obtain for their goods, which include import, transport, escort and unload.

Under the new memorandum, escort fees were removed, cutting at least P1,500 to P2,500 from exporters’ costs.

The 41-controlled chemicals under PNP’s list are also being steadily reviewed and tested for explosive properties.

The chemicals will also be categorized as low-risk or high-risk depending on the results of the tests, and will have corresponding restrictions, she added.

Escalona also shared that of the list of chemicals, Cebu exporters have called for the review of more than half.

Mijares said that research on simplifying and regionalization of processes in relation to export of several government agencies is on-going and will be included in the final draft for the IRR.