Bureau of Customs (BOC) building INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—For the sixth consecutive month this year, the Bureau of Customs failed to meet its revenue target with June collections of only P26.96 billion, about P6.32 billion short of the P33.29-billion target for the 20-day trading period.
Last month’s revenues brought to P173.03 billion the BOC’s total collections for the January to June period, nearly P26 billion less than the bureau’s P198.94-billion target for the six-month period, according to a report of the Bureau of Treasury.
Still, the June revenues were P3.71 billion more than the agency’s collections during the same period in 2013, which totaled P23.35 billion.
Customs insiders also noted that the bureau’s revenues for the first six months of the year were P27.9 billion more than collections during the same period in 2013.
However, they said that with the agency’s growing revenue deficit, it was unlikely the BOC would meet its annual collection target of P408.1 billion.
The Customs revenue collection report also showed that only six of the bureau’s 17 collection districts nationwide met their June targets. They were the Subic Freeport in Zambales; Aparri in Cagayan; Davao; Cagayan de Oro; Iloilo; and Zamboanga.
Subic, with a revenue goal of P694.8 million, registered collections of P1 billion while Aparri’s revenues totaled P329.3 million, about P303 million more than its target of P25.8 million.
Davao, with a collection goal of P623.9 million, raised P811.5 million in revenues while Cagayan de Oro collected P649.6 million, about P9.3 million more than its target of P640.3 million.
Iloilo, with a revenue goal of P68.5 million, collected P133.8 million. Zamboanga collected a low P5.1 million but the amount was still P400,000 more than its revenue goal of P4.7 million.
On the other hand, the following collection districts registered collection shortfalls: Port of Manila, P2.47 billion; Manila International Container Port, P2.06 billion; Ninoy Aquino International Airport, P557.3 million; Limay, Bataan, P445.7 million; Batangas, P399.6 million; San Fernando, La Union, P182.3 million; Clark International Airport, P70.3 million; Cebu, P31.9 million; Tacloban, P28.8 million; Legaspi, Albay, P17.3 million; and Surigao, P7.3 million.
But Customs Commissioner John Phillip Sevilla observed that “looking beyond the revenue target, our collection efficiency is improving as we enhance our reference valuation figures and improve enforcement of Customs policies and procedures, surveillance and apprehension of smuggled goods.”
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