MANILA -- Customs Commissioner Isidro Lapeña is optimistic that the Bureau of Customs (BOC) will meet its 2017 collection goal of PHP468 billion.
Lapena is hopeful that by the last quarter of this year, the bureau will be able to collect PHP50.1 billion a month to meet the full year goal.
In a briefing, Lapena, who took office only last September, said the agency failed to meet the goal last September “but this October I am optimistic that we will be hitting our target.”
He traced his positive sentiments to correct valuation of collection per container van that pass through Customs.
In the past, he explained that a container van with an assumed value of PHP1 million worth of items was taxed PHP40,000.
He, however, pointed out if you compute just the 12 percent value added tax (VAT) alone, the BOC should be charging PHP120,000 per van.
“So if you go by correct valuation you should be hitting much more (revenues),” he said.
The BOC chief explained that the problem came about because of slow processing of papers, thus, businessmen who wanted to bring out their container vans from the Customs fast tapped erring BOC personnel or people with connections inside for faster facilitation of transactions.
“That is why that’s what we are going to do (to) make the processes faster,” he said.
Lapena said he has been in talks with businessmen to improve the processes and have received positive feedbacks and cooperation.
“Basta mabigay lang namin 'yung serbisyo ng gobyerno na 'yan kapalit nung kanilang cooperation then they will help us. Hindi na nila kailangan yung mga players that will make the process faster (As long as we’re able to deliver our services in exchange for their cooperation then they will help us. They won ‘t need players who will make the process faster),” he added. (PNA)
