BOC ‘unlikely’ to meet P340-B revenue target for 2013 — commissioner

Bureau of Customs Commissioner John Sevilla. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — “Barring the second coming of Jesus Christ,” it is “extremely unlikely” for the Bureau of Customs to meet its 2013 revenue collection target of P340 billion, according to Customs Commissioner John Phillip Sevilla.

“It’s impossible…We’re not going to meet our 2013 target,” said the former finance undersecretary for privatization in a recent interview with the Philippine Daily Inquirer

January to November collections totaled only P280.74 billion, which is P31.26 billion short of the Department of Finance-attached agency’s revenue goal of P312 billion for the 11-month period.

When interviewed, Sevilla also said he was “not satisfied” with the bureau’s collections for December.

“As of the data that I saw, which would have been as of (Dec. 20), we’re somewhere between 5 percent and 6 percent below (the target) for the month of December…Of course, I’m not satisfied,” he disclosed.

This month, the BOC’s revenue goal is P27.99 billion.

Asked if he was confident the bureau would meet its 2014 collection target of a little over P408 billion, which some Customs officials found too high and unrealistic, Sevilla said “whether I’m optimistic or not actually doesn’t matter.”

“We have to work hard to meet it,” he asserted, stressing “it’s not a question of attitude, it’s a question of we have to work.”

He also said he had “no basis to have any opinion on whether the target is too high or too low or normal.”

“It is not the bureau which sets these targets. It’s our job to meet the target regardless of what we think about it,” he also emphasized.

In November, Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima said the BOC could boost its revenue collections by implementing new measures against smuggling.

According to DOF estimates, the government loses about P200 billion in potential revenues a year due to smuggling, which, in turn, has been partly blamed on what former Customs chief Ruffy Biazon called the “continuing corruption” in the bureau.

The former Muntinlupa City legislator, who quit his post after being linked to the pork barrel scam, had admitted the bureau would most likely miss its annual collection target, citing the slowdown of imports, globalization and trade liberalization, among other factors.

When he assumed his post early this month, Sevilla reminded the agency’s examiners, appraisers and other frontline personnel that they had to collect at least P1.4 billion daily to meet their December revenue target.

Saying “time is money,” he said “we have to do the best we can in collecting the right Customs duties.”

During the first 10 days of the month, the bureau’s revenues were “far below where we should be,” he told reporters.

Aside from collecting the correct duties and taxes, he also directed BOC personnel to “stop smuggling, serve importers and other Customs stakeholders without expecting anything in return, and recover the pride of the bureau, as well as the public’s trust.”

Sevilla vowed to “do my job in helping the Bureau of Customs meet all these goals.”

Last month, the BOC collected P28.54 billion in revenues, P4.51 billion more than the collections during the same period in 2012, which totaled P23.74 billion.

“While total collections for November were still P2.8 billion short of its monthly target of P31.05 billion, the agency’s revenue generating efforts grew at its fastest pace this year,” said the Customs public information and assistance division (PIAD).

In a statement, the PIAD reported that “the collection districts of Aparri (Cagayan), Iloilo and Subic (Zambales) were the biggest gainers for the month while 11 of the BOC’s 17 collection districts exceeded their monthly targets.”

It quoted Sevilla as having said he was “pleased that the reforms we have been undertaking are taking root as the situation at the agency stabilizes…As we continually streamline operations, maximize efficiency and review our processes, we are optimistic that our revenue growth momentum will speed up.”

Related stories
‘3 Kings’ of customs dethroned in revamp
‘Culture of corruption continues at Customs’