Finance Secretary Ralph Recto asked the Bureau of Customs (BOC) to ramp up its modernization program to achieve 100-percent digitalization rate this year.
“Pursuant to the President’s orders under Bagong Pilipinas, the BOC must take the lead in our efforts to streamline processes, uphold technological excellence, and facilitate the gears of progress,” Recto said in a statement.
Recto called for the expeditious implementation of an integrated system for pre-border verification and cross-border electronic invoicing to combat smuggling, misdeclaration and undervaluation.
He also encouraged the BOC to continue with its condemnation activities to send out a clear message to smugglers that their days of unscrupulous activities are numbered.
Recto underscored the BOC’s critical role in safeguarding the country’s borders from illegal drugs that harm the youth, hazardous and substandard products and goods that threaten people’s health.
He said an enhanced border patrol is needed to arrest smuggled goods that lead to revenue losses.
“[T]he revenue loss from 50,000 sacks of smuggled rice is P36.7 million, a computation that has come from the BOC itself,” Recto said.
“This is enough to buy 22,518 bags of fertilizer that can nurture 11.7 square kilometers of rice land,” he said.
Meanwhile, revenue loss from 50,000 liters of gasoline, which is estimated to be around P789,000, can buy one breakfast meal for 47,045 children under the care of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
Recto also underscored the critical role of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) in funding the government’s socioeconomic agenda and driving the overall progress of the country.
“The BOC is more than the landing point of trade in our country. It is also the starting point of our nation’s progress. For it is in the BOC that emanates the revenues that fund our nation’s dreams and secure its future,” he said.
The government aims to collect P4.3 trillion in revenues, P1 trillion of which will come from the BOC.
“As the second biggest revenue agency, almost 24 centavos of every revenue peso that will be raised this year will be collected by the BOC. And for every budget peso that the government will spend this year, 20 centavos will be generated by the BOC,” Recto said.