Surprise! BOC beats naysayers; surpasses March tax target

WITH the whole Bureau of Customs (BOC) apparently now on board and committed to the reform agenda of Commissioner Ariel F. Nepomuceno anchored on his ‘I-AM Program’ (integrity, accountability and modernization) with the aim of instilling professionalism towards further ease of doing business, the agency is showing commendable resilience by again surpassing its assigned collection target for March, despite global challenges.

In a report, Commissioner Nepomuceno announced the BOC again surpassed its assigned target by collecting ₱84.4 billion, in revenues to support vital government programs and services.

Citing the preliminary report from the Collection Service, the agency generated a surplus revenue of ₱1.190 billion, 1.14 percent higher than its assigned target of ₱83.237 billion.

Year-on-year, the tax take is higher by ₱4.067 billion, or a positive variance of 5.1 percent compared to the same period last year.

Customs Commissioner Ariel F. Nepomuceno emphasized that the BOC’s strong performance translates directly into better public services, funding for infrastructure, and support for social programs that benefit millions of Filipinos.

“Ang bawat pisong nakokolekta natin ay direktang napupunta sa mga programang magpapabuti sa buhay ng ating mga kababayan.

“Ito ang tunay na sukatan ng aming serbisyo—isang pamahalaang may malasakit, may pananagutan, at may tunay na pakinabang para sa mamamayan,” Commissioner Nepomuceno said.

During the turnover of the BOC’s additional contribution to the national treasury from the successful auction of luxury vehicles owned by the Discaya couple last March 10 (see related article here), the Customs Chief conceded to the media of his concern that the ongoing war in the Middle East between the United States, Israel and Iran that erupted on February 28 would negatively impact on the agency’s revenue collection effort. He noted that upwards to more than 30 percent of the BOC’s revenue comes from oil and fuel products.

For the moment, however, his worry appears unfounded as the BOC surpassed its collection target for the whole first quarter of the year.

“I extend my deepest appreciation to our District Collectors, port personnel, and all BOC employees across the country.

“Your hard work, discipline, and commitment to honest service made this accomplishment possible. This is a shared victory for every Customs officer who continues to uphold our mandate with integrity.

“Thank you for all your efforts,” Commissioner Nepomuceno said in a brief statement as he acknowledged the crucial role played by agency officials and personnel in proving wrong everyone’s expectation of a potential slump in tax collection.