Customs Bureau falls short of 2012 collection target

The Bureau of Customs missed its collection target for 2012 by a preliminary estimate of P60 billion.

The government’s second largest revenue agency had set as its target for the year P347 billion, but collected only P287 billion in 2012.

The BOC still collected 8.5 percent more than its 2011 total of P263 billion.

Several factors affected the bureau's collections total, including the peso's strong showing against the dollar; international trade treaties that brought down tariffs; and fewer working days in some months, said Customs Commissioner Ruffy Biazon.

A rumor mid-year that Biazon would leave the bureau to run as a Senatorial candidate in the 2013 elections may have also affected the BOC's performance. In October, Biazon announced that he will remain as BOC head.

The BOC has also been attempting to plug revenue leakages with its Run After the Smugglers (RATS) program. The 107 anti-smuggling cases it has filed under RATS have total duties and tax liabilities estimated at P25.92 billion and total dutiable value at P52.36 billion, but most are still pending preliminary investigation.

The BOC has set P397 billion as its target for 2013, despite Biazon's saying that the target is too high. — BM, GMA News