MANILA (Mindanao Examiner / Mar. 2, 2014) – The Philippines Bureau of the Customs has announced a 5% hike in its 2013 collections with a total of P304.5 billion in revenues compared to the previous year, but still failed hit its P340 billion target.
It attributed the surged in collections to improvements in operational efficiency and reforms towards the last quarter of 2013. In 2012, the BOC only collected P289.9 billion.
For 2014, the BOC’s target is P408.1 billion.
“The surge in the growth trajectory in the last quarter of 2013, which broke the trend growth of 5% in the first three quarters, indicates that the President’s Customs Reform Program implemented in October 2013 is beginning to bear fruit.”
“With vigorous and continuous systemic reforms, we are confident that the Bureau can become a greater contributor to government coffers and become a more reliable and credible partner in nation-building and economic growth. We are hopeful that the momentum will be carried over in 2014,” said Customs Commissioner John Phillip Sevilla, who took over BOC later in December 2013 from former lawmaker Ruffy Biazon, who was linked to the pork barrel scam.
Sevilla, who was Finance Undersecretary for the Corporate Affairs Group and Privatization before his appointment, said the Collection Districts of Legaspi, Subic, Clark, Aparri, Iloilo, Cebu, Cagayan De Oro and Davao picked up part of the slack from the Ports of Manila and Batangas, the Manila International Container Port and the Ninoy Aquino International Airport—the largest in terms of revenues and trade volume, exceeding their collection target by a total of P9.2-Billion in 2013.
The BOC contributes about 22% of total revenues of the National Government.
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