The Bureau of Customs (BOC) missed both its January-July and July 2016 revenue collection targets. According to preliminary data by the agency’s Statistical Analysis Division, collections for the period covering January-July reached P220.6 billion, 21.6% or P60-billion short of the P281-billion target.
The decline in revenues conforms with anecdotal statements gathered by PortCalls from industry stakeholders that volumes of sea and air shipments have been low over the past couple of months. With the decrease in volume, truckers said operators who do not have fixed clients have lowered their rates in order to secure business. The drought affecting plantations in Mindanao is also affecting shipment volume.
For July 2016 alone, BOC failed to hit the P43-billion goal and collected P13 billion less or P30 billion.
Only the Port of Zamboanga surpassed its target for January-July of P99.7 million when it raked in P114.3 million.
For the same period, Aparri port recorded the biggest shortfall, missing its target by 96.6% and collecting only P10.4 million compared with its goal of P307.6 million.
The Port of Cebu recorded the lowest deficit at 4.9%, with P10.5 billion in collections against a target of P11 billion.
The Manila International Container Port, the country’s leading gateway for international containers, took in P68 billion, 19.11% short of the P81-billion target for January to July.
The premier air hub, Ninoy Aquino International Airport, collected P19 billion vis-a-vis the goal of P25 billion.
The seven-month performance of other ports in terms of target against actual collection are as follows: Batangas, P60-billion target vis-a-vis P52-billion collection; Port of Manila, P49 billion and P33 billion; Limay, P20 billion and P11 billion; Subic, P10 billion and P8 billion; Davao, P7.7 billion and P6.4 billion; Cagayan de Oro, P6.5 billion and P5.4 billion; San Fernando, P1.6 billion and P983 million; Iloilo, P1.4 billion and P1.1 billion; Clark, P862 million and P803 million; Legazpi, P170 million and P79 million; Tacloban, P133 million and P67 million; and Surigao, P11 million and P2.6 million.
For July, only the port of Cebu posted a surplus of 1.6% equivalent to P26.7 million, when it collected a total of P1.710 billion from its target of P1.684 billion. The other 16 ports recorded shortfalls.
BOC has been tasked to collect P498.67 billion for the whole year. – Roumina Pablo
Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
