The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has taken steps to clear up the ports of overstaying containers to accommodate the Christmas import surge and prevent any downtime in business operations.

“We will move to satellite depots thousands of containers with merchandise, manufacturing raw materials, and rice that are uncollected at the ports for various reasons, including legal and the long All Saints Day weekend. We need the space so we can release these imports on time to keep the private sector humming,” said Customs Commissioner Ruzzano Rufino Biazon.

He also extended the work and banking hours at the port. At the gateway ports in Manila, Customs and its accredited banks will be open from 8:00am to 7:00pm during weekdays and from 9:00am to 5:00pm on Saturdays for November and December.

Biazon said he wants a more efficient bureau especially with the local economy poised for sustained growth.

“We must keep in step with business. We must not be a reason for businesses to slow down or even stop operations because their raw materials had been held up for no justifiable reason at the ports,” he said.

Besides, he added, an efficient port operation will ease up traffic in Metro Manila substantially since container trucks can time their operations and not be on the road all the same time.

Of course, he said, all these would mean better collections for the bureau to help the government deliver the services needed by the people.