Biazon seeks 'realistic formula' for setting Customs revenue goals

Newly installed Customs Commissioner Ruzzano Ruffino Biazon said he would try to convince the Aquino administration’s economic planners to change the way they set revenue targets for his agency by using a yet-to-be-crafted ‘realistic formula.’ “There are many factors involved in hitting revenue targets such as international trade, peso fluctuation, leakages from smuggling and corruption. I will go through the process of appealing for a more realistic formula in goal setting," Biazon said. He added that given next year’s P365-billion goal for the Bureau of Customs (BOC), his agency will have to collect an average of P1 billion each day of the year. Biazon though was quick to clarify that his immediate goal is to perform. “We’ll just talk about the 2012 target but I will not be at all aggressive in seeking for a lower target I want to prove to the bosses first that I can raise revenues," Biazon said. Another factor in revenue generation are free trade agreements and tariff adjustments to cushion the impact of rising prices in the international commodities markets. According to Customs data, about 2,000 products used to be big revenue sources that now come in duty-free or at reduced tariff levels. The Customs chief revealed that he would continue the Run After The Smugglers (RATS) program, which his predecessors implemented. RATS is the BOC counterpart to the Bureau of Internal Revenue’s Run After Tax Evaders or RATE program. Both involve the filing of tax evasion cases before the Department of Justice. “We will continue with the filing of the cases… We’re looking at leaks that can be plugged although I cannot project my strategy right now so as not to forewarn the wrongdoers," Biazon said. — ELR/VS, GMA News