The Bureau of Customs reported to a committee in the House of Representatives that it exceeded its target collection last year by P7.9 billion or 1.4 percent although three major ports failed to meet their target.
Customs officials reported this to the House Committee on Ways and Means chaired by Rep. Estrellita Suansing when they discussed with legislators the agency’s collections for 2018 and its direction under new leadership.
BOC spokesman Erastus Sandino Austria told the committee that only 14 of the BOC’s 17 ports met their respective targets in 2018.
The three ports that missed their target are the Port of Manila, the Manila International Container Port, and the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
Despite the failure of the three major ports to meet their targets, preliminary collection reports show that the agency posted a total collection of P598.2 billion for 2018, the highest ever for the last two decades of the Bureau of Customs’ performance.
This exceeds the P584 billion target by P7.9 billion or 1.4 percent above the target and achieved a growth rate of 29.4 percent versus the target assigned for the preceding year. Austria said.
Suansing said that the data of the BOC was vital to the committee’s assessment of the revenue collection performance of the agency.
“This is a significant matter as the collection data the committee will be receiving shall provide quite a clear and actual picture of how far the Bureau has gone in terms of improving its collection revenue efforts and how much it has contributed to the national coffers especially in line with financing the Build Build Build program of the Duterte administration,” Suansing said during the Committee hearing.
She added that recently appointed Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero should focus on improving the operations of the BOC.
“Matters such as computerization, risk management, post clearance and the like are expected to be brought forth by the leadership as these are crucial in whipping the BoC into better shape,” Suansing said.
Guerrero said the bureau would implement this year a 10-point priority program covering:
enhancement of the BOC information technology system; 2) filling up of vacant plantilla positions; 3) provision of incentives for BOC employees;
4) restructuring of the BOC organization; 5) enhancement of BOC facilities; 6) enhancement of cargo clearance and examination capabilities; 7) enhancement of intelligence and enforcement capabilities;
8) codification and harmonization of all implementing rules and regulations; 9) creation of a quality management system and integrity system, and 10) pursuit of the passage of customs-related legislative measures.