Alleging that they have received complaints of violations of workers' rights, the government announced that in the coming days they will conduct inspections in security companies and restaurants.
Customs has acknowledged the error in the recovery of $18 on cargo moving between zones and DPA's, under the Law of International Services, and others that should have been exempt from the charge.
The extension of the charge of an $18 fee at Salvadoran Customs offices to pay for X-ray equipment, on cargo that clearly should not incur the charge, caused discomfort and protests in the affected business sectors.
It has been announced that a rate of $18 for scanned inspections of containers will be charged per declared goods and not per truck, as has been charged so far.
With the new measure a change will be made to how the scanned inspections are charged, which will mainly affect companies that share vans to reduce costs, because up until now the charge for inspections using X-ray machines was applied per truck and not to individual goods.
As of October 15 inspectors from the US Food and Drug Administration will be carrying out spot checks on exporters of food and beverages.
The Corporation of Exporters of El Salvador (Coexport) announced that the inspections will start from October 15, and companies which export food and beverages will be selected at random for visits.
In response to demands from carriers the Directorate General of Customs has temporarily suspended the payment of $18 for scanning each unit load transported.
From a statement issued by the Treasury of El Salvador:
Carriers claim that the new rules on the $18 fee for revision using scanners is not clear when it comes to charging the fee on consolidated cargo.
This new conflict has arisen from the fact that the rules of the law do not specify whether in the case of consolidated cargo the $18 must be paid per package or if the fee should be divided among all packages, as they claim has been done up until now. The administrative provision indicates that the payment of the fee must be made with the goods declaration, ie consolidated loads must pay for each packet, for each declaration presented and not a single fee per container.
With the amendment to the Customs Simplification Act charges for inspections using scanners on international freight have been eliminated, but are maintained for cargo of national origin or destination.
The Legislature has eliminated the fee of $18 for use of scanners on international freight, but not on national cargo, ie freight departing from or arriving at El Salvador.
For the third time a suspension has been enacted for the payment of the $18 fee for inspecting containers using scanner machines at customs offices in El Salvador, and will be in effect until January 15, 2015.
Once again the Legislature has decided to continue the suspension of the fee for non-intrusive inspections, this extension will take effect on December 1st.
The new extension of the suspension of the payment of $18 for the non-intrusive inspection of international land transit operations is for 60 days starting from September 15, 2014.
For the third time so far this year, the Legislative Assembly has decided to maintain the suspension of the collection of the customs levy, this time until 15 November.
The Legislative Assembly of El Salvador has approved extending for 60 days the suspension of payment of the fee for inspecting goods at customs using scanners.
According to the approval measure given by the Assembly, the extension of the suspension of the collection will be until mid-September and will apply to both domestic and foreign cargo, regardless of whether the destination of the goods is within or outside of Salvadoran territory.
Problems persist in the process of reviewing merchandise at the border posts in Amatillo and La Hachadura causing delays to cargo trucks.
Double review processes, recurring failures with x-ray machine inspection and the absence of a contingency plan for unforeseen delays has generated delays of between 19 and 23 hours for the approval of entry and exit of goods, said the Salvadoran Association of International Freight Carriers (ASTIC).
The difficulties and obstacles highlighted by exporters in intraregional trade reveal the serious shortcomings of the much vaunted concept of Central American Integration.
Chambers representing exporters in Central American countries believe that instead of moving towards the integration of the region, the slow progress of the customs union and the high costs of transport is retracting from it.
Regional agreements establish reciprocal and non-discriminatory treatment for international land freight transport services between Central American countries.
An article in Elperiodico.com.gt reports that "...The deputy ministers of Foreign Trade of Central America agreed yesterday that Guatemala would send a complete analysis, which demonstrates that the charge of $18 being made in El Salvador for carrying out non intrusive revisions contravenes trade regulations and affects the region. "
President Mauricio Funes has vetoed the legislative decree suspending the charging of $18 for non-intrusive inspections at customs offices in the country.
From a statement issued by the presidency of El Salvador:
The President, Mauricio Funes vetoed today, after considering it inconvenient, the six-month suspension of the collection of a few for the service of nonintrusive inspection at customs office, which deputies approved by Legislative Decree no. 629.
The Tax Authority of Guatemala has denied the existence of a consensus among Central American countries to implement a unified charge.
The Superintendency of Tax Administration (SAT) of Guatemala denied that there is a consensus among countries to implement a one-time charge for reviewing scanned merchandise flowing through the region, as announced by the Directorate General of Customs of El Salvador.
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