Customs says it has taken steps to address COA flags

The Bureau of Customs (BOC) on Wednesday said that it had already taken steps to address the flags that the Commission on Audit (COA) raised against their department recently.

“Not only in compliance to the COA suggestion, but most importantly, to fix the BOC records and to reconcile its Property, Plant and Equipment (PPE) listing against actual inventory, among others,” BOC said in a press release.

After it was to have failed to present physical evidence on some items listed in their PPE, BOC said that the ‘accounting errors’ were from six years before BOC Commissioner Rey Leonardo B. Guerrero took over.

It said this affected the accurate presentation of their financial statement in 2018.

Based on COA Consolidated Annual Audit Report (CAAR) for 2018, BOC released over 300 cargoes without authority, on top of accumulating over P262 million in unsupported accounts payable. 

Out of the 37 COA audit observations and recommendations, the BOC has complied with 23 on its audit highlights, the bureau said. 

Internal Administration Group (IAG) Deputy Commissioner Donato B. San Juan said BOC has created an Inventory Team to reconcile their 2012 last inventory report.

All inventory reports are properly recorded in the Agency’s Books of Accounts, BOC said. —Joviland Rita/NB, GMA News