The Philippine Bureau of Customs (BOC) will likely meet its target revenue for 2016, with data as of the first half of December showing the agency has already taken in 93% of its P409-billion full-year target, according to one of its officials.
Neil Estrella, spokesperson for the BOC Intelligence and Enforcement groups, in a press briefing on December 20, said all indicators point to the target being met, or even exceeded, as long as the import momentum continues this month.
Unlike in previous years, he noted that shipments in November and December this year have actually increased.
In the first half of December alone, P19.947 billion was collected, corresponding to 57% of the month’s P35.116-billion goal.
For the same period, actual collection of BOC’s top revenue contributor Manila International Container Port’s was 7% more than the target, the BOC official said.
Estrella said they are hoping the December revenue collection will also exceed the monthly target, replicating what happened in November when collection overshot the goal by more than P3 billion.
Meanwhile, Estrella said BOC received about 2,500 applications last month to fill around 1,000 vacant positions.
Mass promotions will be announced this month while hiring of new employees will be done by the first quarter of 2017, Estrella said. He noted this will augment the customs agency’s reform program and “overhaul the tainted image of the agency” that has been tagged as one of the most corrupt.
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