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By Chino S. Leyco, Reporter
HEADS may roll at the Bureau of Customs after a
majority of its collection districts fell short of their revenue
targets last year.
Customs data showed that 11 out of 15 collection
districts missed their goals last year. Four districts that met
their targets were San Fernando, La Union, which enjoyed a
P32-million surplus; Legazpi, Albay, which exceeded its P12-billion
goal; Cagayan de Oro, which overshot its collections by P228
million; and Davao, which saw a P14.1-million surplus.
Under the Lateral Attrition law, Customs and
Bureau of Internal Revenue officials who fall short of their
collection targets by at least 7.5 percent would be dismissed from
service. Over performers, however, would receive a collective
incentive amounting to 15 percent of the excess collection if its
surplus is 30 percent or below, and 15 percent of the first 30
percent plus 20 percent if they surpass collections by 30 percent.
Districts that qualified for attrition and their
respective collection deficits include the Port of Manila with a
shortfall of 7.9 percent; Batangas, 13.6 percent; Iloilo, 47.5
percent; Tacloban, 28.2 percent; Surigao, 60 percent; Zamboanga,
48.8 percent; Subic, 11.2 percent; and Clark, 16.1 percent.
Three districts failed to qualify for attrition
– Cebu, Ninoy Aquino International Airport, and the Manila
International Container Port.
Customs failed to meet its collection target of
P228 billion last year after it managed to generate only P210.6
billion. Commissioner Napoleon Morales blamed the shortfall on the
peso’s rapid appreciation against the dollar.
The Department of Finance earlier said the
Customs’ collection goal will be affected by the peso’s
strength, as the bureau collects in dollars from import taxes and
duties, and remits in pesos to the national treasury.
Last year, the peso-dollar exchange rate was
pegged at P41 to P42.
Morales said the decline in the value and volume
of imports in the past months also contributed to the bureau’s
collection deficit.
For December alone, the bureau fell short of its
P21.7-billion target revenue by P2.6 billion.
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