The Philippine Bureau of Customs (BOC) missed by 15% its collection target for the first nine months of the year.
From January to September, BOC took in P195.14 billion, P34.47 billion less than its target of P229.62 billion.
“It’s not only the effect of the global economic downturn that caused the lower cargo volume but also jitters caused by the change in (customs) administration,” said Customs commissioner Rozzano Rufino Biazon, who recently replaced Angelito Alvarez.
From the five so-called “billionaire ports” (ports that normally rake in at least a billion pesos every month), only the oil port of Limay outstripped its revenue target, collecting P24.15 billion, up 11% more than its goal of P21.7 billion
The Port of Batangas, Manila International Container Port (MICP), Port of Manila, and the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) all failed to hit their targets.
Among the five, the oil port of Batangas posted the biggest shortfall, bringing in P35.33 billion compared to its target of P46.14 billion or a deficit of P10.81 billion for the nine-month period.
MICP, BOC’s largest collection district, missed its target by 14%, collecting P51.92 billion vis-à-vis its goal of P60.47 billion; the Port of Manila by 15% (P42.4 billion against P50.08 billion); and NAIA by 7% (P15.62 billion as against P16.92 billion).
Collection districts that exceeded their targets included Davao with a P466-million surplus collection; Legazpi, P103 million excess; Clarkfield, surplus of P29.6 million; and Zamboanga, P10.7 billion.
Earlier, government reduced BOC’s revenue collection goal for this year and next due to slow economic activity, inflation, and the strong peso.
The new target for 2011 is P278 billion, 13% less that the earlier P320 billion and for 2012, P315 billion, 13.7% lower than the original P365.1 billion.
