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By Chino S. Leyco, Reporter
A WEEK before its deadline, revenues raised from
the Bureau of Internal Revenue’s (BIR) tax amnesty program are way
below target, the agency’s head said.
BIR Commissioner Lilian B. Hefti said the bureau
raked in P1.6 billion from September last year to February 27 this
year, or less than half the agency’s target of P4 billion by next
month.
“Taxpayers are encouraged to go straight to
banks. They don’t need to review for any BIR personnel,” Hefti
told reporters, referring to reports that taxpayers were discouraged
to avail of the amnesty after learning they need further review
before approval.
“Taxpayers are delaying their punches. We
can’t tell how many will avail, but they should,” Nelson M. Aspe,
BIR deputy commissioner for operations said.
Aspe said delinquent taxpayers who fail to avail
of the program will be prosecuted.
This latest in a string of amnesties the
government has pursued is designed to enhance revenue administration
and collection by pardoning all unpaid taxes imposed by the
government for taxable year 2005 and prior years, under certain
conditions.
The program began on September 16 last year and
will end on March 6 this year. The BIR earlier said it raised an
estimated P500 million in the first two months of the program.
Last year, the bureau’s total collection was
seven percent short of its P765 billion full-year goal. The P712.098
billion generated however was nine percent higher than the P652.732
billion raised in 2006.
After failing to hit targets in the first six
months last year, the bureau registered higher collections in the
July to December period at P377.387 billion.
This year, the BIR is asking the Department of
Finance to adjust its collection goal to below P800 billion, or
close to the P765 target for last year.
But Finance Secretary Margarito B. Teves turned
down the bureau’s request, saying it was premature to rule out
hitting revenue targets this year.
The BIR contributes around 70 percent of the
government’s tax revenues.
New measures against smuggling set
Teves also said the finance department will
implement new administrative measures to curb rampant smuggling
through the country’s free ports.
Starting next month, the Bureau of Customs will
pilot fuel marking technology at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone, Clark
Special Economic Zone, and the Batangas port to ensure that the
appropriate taxes and duties are paid on oil imports.
“We have issued a department order to tighten
the monitoring of importations and grant of tax privileges to
enterprises in the Freeport zones, such as through information
sharing between [Customs] and the Freeport administrators,” Teves
said.
He added Customs has likewise signed a
memorandum of agreement with the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority
for closer coordination on the importation made by Subic locators.
“The [Customs] imposed a moratorium on the
accreditation of customs bonded warehouses (CBWs). This is after
reports that CBWs were used as conduits to smuggling activities.
[It] has started conducting post-entry audit on imported cigarettes,
alcohol products and motor vehicles based on the information, Teves
said.
Senate data showed smuggling in the country
amounted to P120-billion a year.
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