Philippine Customs commissioner Isidro Lapeña has laid down four directives designed to boost revenue collection and plug collection gaps, including scrutinizing documents to ensure their authenticity and exercising vigilance in examining Certificates of Origin (CO).
In a memorandum signed September 26 addressed to customs officials, importers, customs brokers, and others concerned, Lapeña ordered that daily collection efforts be intensified to meet the bureau’s revenue collection target for 2017. He earlier stated that Duterte’s marching orders are for him to increase revenue collection and end corruption in the Bureau of Customs (BOC).
The customs bureau, tasked to collect P468 billion in 2017, has so far chalked up P321.605 billion in revenue for the first nine months of the year.
READ: BOC collection expands 12% in Sept but still below target
The second directive orders the proper collection of duties and taxes and the correct valuation of all shipments as stipulated under Republic Act No. 10863, or the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act, and related rules and regulations.
In earlier press briefings, Lapeña said he would be keeping an eye on district collectors who don’t comply with his directives and whose ports fail to hit their revenue targets. Last month, he followed through by relieving two district collectors (in charge of the Manila International Container Port and the Port of Manila) of their duties for consistently failing to meet targets and implement correct valuation.
In his third order, the BOC chief directed concerned officers to “thoroughly scrutinize and be vigilant in the examination of documents submitted, including but not limited to, bills of lading, sales invoices, packing lists and other, presented in the determination of value to ensure that declarations are supported by authentic and genuine contracts and documents.”
“Anyone found to be submitting falsified papers or documents in relation to shipments processed in the Bureau will be charged with violation of Articles 171-172 of the Revised Penal Code in relation to Section 1401 of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act,” Lapeña warned.
His last directive is for agency officers to exercise vigilance and caution in examining Certificates of Origin (CO) and to devise a system supporting effective and efficient handling, verification, and retro-verification of COs.
A CO is an international trade document that certifies that goods in a particular export shipment are wholly obtained, produced, manufactured or processed in a particular country. It also serves as a declaration by the exporter.
Lapeña earlier said he strongly believes that if customs does its job properly and strictly follows the law and its rules and regulations, “we will be able to hit our target.”
All orders took immediate effect. – Roumina Pablo
Image courtesy of pakorn at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
