Two more Bureau of Customs (BOC) districts—the ports of Cebu and Zamboanga—have exceeded their 2018 revenue collection targets days before the year ends.
BOC said the port of Zamboanga has already collected P351.787 million from the beginning of the year to December 17, 22.15% above its full 2018 collection target of P288 million. From December 1-17, the port has also exceeded its full monthly target of P25 million after raking in P38.662 million, or a variance of 53.65%.
According to Zamboanga port district collector Segundo Sigmundfreud Barte, Jr., the intensified anti-smuggling drive resulted in the rise of revenue collection from the importation of rice and cement. Liquefied petroleum gas, round logs, and refined bleach and deodorized palm oil likewise contributed to higher collection records.
Port of Cebu, on the other hand, has, as of end-November, collected P26.761 billion versus its target of P24.902 billion, with a surplus of P1.859 billion or 7.46%. From Dec 1 to 12, it has taken in P27.806 billion vis-a-vis the P27.436-billion goal.
Aside from Zamboanga and Cebu, Tacloban has surpassed its annual target, having exceeded its P321-million target by 213%, collecting P1.006 billion as of November 29. Tacloban is the first reported BOC district to hit and exceed its annual collection target. It is also the first time that Tacloban port has collected P1 billion.
For 2018 BOC has a revised target collection of P584.9 billion. The Department of Finance, BOC’s mother agency, approved the lowering of the annual target by P10 billion since the customs bureau’s fuel marking system has not yet been implemented.
BOC said the fuel marking system will be implemented by next year following the drafting of implementing rules and regulations of the program and the awarding of contract for the winning joint venture.
For eight straight months from February to September 2018, BOC has reported revenues exceeding its monthly targets. It has yet to disclose its October and November collections.
