THE trust and confidence of stakeholders on new Bureau of Customs Commissioner Ariel F. Nepomuceno immediately translated into material gains for the agency as it registered a surplus collection in July, only his first month in office.
Based on the report from the bureau’s Financial Service, the BOC collected P85.459 billion, for a surplus collection of P1.084 billion, from its assigned target of P84.365 billion, the highest monthly collection thus far this year.
The figure is also 6.4 percent higher compared to the P80.355 billion collection for the same period last year and is also P8.424 billion higher than its collection in June that only reached P77.035 billion.
Entering the second semester of the year, the BOC has already collected P544.230 billion, or nearly half of its assigned target of around P958 billion this year.
The BOC attributed the healthy July collection performance to the combined efforts of its 17 collection districts, with the Port of Cebu under Collector Felipe Geoffrey de Vera contributing some P300 million in surplus collection.
Targeted revenue sources also made their contributions including collections from unpaid post-entry modifications, government importations under the Tax Expenditure Fund (TEF) amounting to P3.103 billion and the Post-Clearance Audit Group (PCAG) under Assistant Commissioner Atty. Vincent Maronilla, turning in P136.94 million.
Nepomuceno, who also previously served as BOC Deputy Commissioner under the Aquino and Duterte administrations, was appointed Commissioner of Customs by President Marcos Jr., last June 30 and immediately buckled down to work the next day, along with a fresh set of customs officials appointed by Malacañang to assist him in the running of the agency.
“This achievement shows the power of good governance,” said Commissioner Nepomuceno in a brief statement.
“With integrity and focus, we will continue to deliver results that benefit the Filipino people and support the President’s vision for nation-building.”
Reinforcing ‘No Take Policy’
In line with his objective of instilling good governance in all spheres of customs operations, Comm. Nepomuceno also announced his adherence to the ‘No Take Policy’ as he also encouraged the public and waterfront stakeholders to immediately report to him those engaged in corrupt practices.
He said this policy is “non-negotiable” that he intends to uphold “from day one of his term until his last day in office.”
“We cannot win the fight against corruption if stakeholders themselves continue to offer bribes or enter into under-the-table deals,” the Commissioner said.
“This is a shared responsibility. I expect all parties inside and outside the BOC to uphold the same standards of integrity.
“The ‘No Take’ policy is a standing commitment of my administration, and any violation will be addressed with the utmost firmness and urgency.
“Let this be clear: those who choose to engage in corrupt practices, regardless of their role, will be held accountable,” the Customs chief warned.
In his first two major decisions to restore the agency’s credibility after assuming office, Comm. Nepomuceno stopped the implementation of all unserved ‘MOs’ (mission orders) and ‘LOAs’ (letter of authority) issued by his predecessor, Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio and for all customs officials and personnel to stop engaging in the customs brokerage business themselves.