MANILA – The government has so far collected more than PHP800 billion from its fuel-marking program, data released by the Bureau of Customs (BOC) showed.
BOC Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio said revenues from the fuel-marking program amounted to PHP801.55 billion, which is equivalent to 70.48 billion liters of marked fuel products.
Of the total amount, PHP771.74 in excise tax was collected by the BOC from September 2019 to Nov. 30, 2023.
The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), meanwhile, collected PHP29.81 billion from December 2019 to Oct. 28, 2021.
Fuel marking involves injecting chemical identifiers into tax-paid oil products after the taxes are paid on refined and imported gasoline, diesel, and kerosene.
Fuel marking is mandated under the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Act (TRAIN) as a measure against the smuggling of petroleum products.
Rubio, meanwhile, said the BOC likely raised PHP49 million from the auction of four seized luxury cars.
"We have in our auction plan, one in Davao scheduled (for) Dec. 4, 2023. Projected revenue based on floor price is about PHP49 million," he said in an interview on Dec. 6.
"We always have scheduled auctions. But in terms of luxury vehicles and even seized cargoes, like ordinary cases, claimants have the right to due process. They are given time to prove (the) legality of shipments. Even if in our level we already have finality, they have the right to appeal and it can go as high as in courts." (PNA)
