Biazon seeks more realistic targets

MANILA, Philippines - Newly appointed Customs Commissioner Ruffino ‘Ruffy’ Biazon will appeal for a more realistic way of setting revenue targets, starting with the P365-billion target set for next year.

In a press briefing yesterday, Biazon said that to achieve next year’s target, the Bureau of Customs would have to collect P1 billion a day.

“There are many factors involved in hitting revenue targets such as international trade, peso fluctuation, leakages from smuggling and corruption. I will go through the process of appealing for a more realistic formula in goal setting,” Biazon said.

The interagency Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) sets the country’s macroeconomic assumptions and targets including the revenue goals of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and Customs.

Customs data showed that there are nearly 2,000 products that until June last year were considered traditional big revenue sources for the BOC.

They now come in duty free or with reduced tariff as a result of various free trade agreements and government’s social amelioration initiatives.

Some of the big ticket items that are now zero rated are petroleum products, cereals, plastics and articles thereof, iron and steel, paper and paperboard, fertilizers and cement.

He said that it may be too late to appeal for a downward revision of the P320-billion target for this year.

As such, he would focus on next year’s revenue goal of P365 billion.

“We’ll just talk about the 2012 target but I will not be at all aggressive in seeking for a lower target I want to prove to the bosses first that I can raise revenues,” Biazon also said.

He said he would continue some of the programs, which were also carried on by his predecessor, resigned Customs Commissioner Angelito Alvarez from previous terms.

One such program is the Run After Smugglers (RATS) program. Under the program, the BOC files before the Department of Justice (DOJ) cases against smugglers.

“We will continue with the filing of the cases,” Biazon said.

He vowed to have a “hard line stance” in the filing of appropriate charges against smugglers and erring employees.”

He would also be reviewing the current process and procedures to see other possible revenue leaks that may be plugged.

“We’re looking at leaks that can be plugged although I cannot project my strategy right now so as not to forewarn the wrongdoers,” Biazon said.