DESPITE the global economic downturn and adverse challenges to its performance due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Bureau of Customs (BOC) commissioner, Rey Leonardo Guerrero, announced his agency surpassed its assigned collection target for 2020 by more than P33 billion.
Quoting the collection data from the bureau’s Financial Management Service, Guerrero informed Department of Finance (DOF) secretary, Carlos Dominguez, actual cash collection for the year just ended hit P539.660 billion, up by 6.6 percent, or, P33.5 billion, from its assigned goal of P506.150 billion.
The BOC likewise surpassed its December target of P43.368 billion, after actually collecting P47.316 billion, or a surplus of P3.948 billion, which is more than 9 percent above target.
Atty. Vincent Maronilla, BOC assistant commissioner for post clearance audit (PCAG) and concurrent spokesman, also noted that the BOC has surpassed its monthly assigned target since June, or seven months in a row.
He added that 10 of the bureau’s 17 collection districts had exceeded expectations by surpassing their respective annual targets, headed by the Port of Subic under district collector, Atty. Marites Martin. The PoS had already achieved its annual target as early as November.
Other ports that hit their 2020 targets are:
The ports of Cebu, Tacloban, Surigao, Cagayan De Oro, Zamboanga, Davao, Clark, Aparri, and Limay.
The BOC’s positive revenue collection performance, Maronilla added, is attributed to the improved valuation and intensified collection efforts of all the ports, gradual improvement of importation volume and the government’s effort in ensuring unhampered movement of goods domestically and internationally in the light of the global pandemic.
In his message, Guerrero once again commended the collective efforts of the officials and employees of the bureau “who, despite the risks to their health and safety, showed unwavering commitment and dedication to service.”