BOC exceeds March revenue target

The Bureau of Customs (BOC) exceeded its collection target last month, raking in P37.654 billion of revenues, a preliminary data released on Thursday showed.

Actual collections from duties, taxes and fees exceeded the P36.572 billion target by 3 percent, the bureau said.

The March collection was also up 16 percent from P32.383 billion booked a year earlier.

According to the BOC, nine of the 17 collection districts exceeded collection targets last month.

The Manila International Container Port collected P11.721 billion, 3.7 percent more than the P11.30 billion target. The Port of Batangas collected P8.50 billion, also 3.7 percent higher the goal of P8.195 billion.

Other port districts that outpaced targets are the following:

• Port of Cebu – P1.680 billion or 4.8 percent more than the P1.604 billion target

• Port of Cagayan de Oro – P1.266 billion or 44 percent more than the P879.3 million target

• Port of Davao – P1.321 billion or 24.1 percent more than the P1.06 billion target

• Port of Clark –P131 million or 5.4 percent higher than P124.6 million target

• Port of San Fernando – P244 million or 30.2 percent more than the P187.5 million target

• Port of Legaspi – P77 million or 276.1 percent more than the P20.5 million target

• Port of Iloilo –P219 million or 8.7 percent higher than the P201 million target

• Port of Zamboanga – P32 million or 128 percent more than the P14 million target

The year, the BOC hopes to hit the P468 billion revenue goal. Customs Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon said the 2017 target is "achievable."

“With the strong implementation of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act and our intensified operations against smuggling, I am positive that we will be able to achieve, or even exceed our 2017 revenue goal," Faeldon said.

In January, the bureau exceeded its collection by posting P35.943 billion, compared with its P35.509 billion target for the month. It was also 15 percent more than the year earlier collection. — Ted Cordero/VDS, GMA News