Customs bureau exceeds January target

MANILA, Philippines - The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has exceeded its P70-billion collection target by about P200 million in January as it sees an overshoot of P2 billion in revenues next year.

Customs Commissioner Ruffy Biazon said the increase in collection was due to its all-out-war against smuggling, especially of agricultural products.

Late last year, the bureau seized agricultural products worth P870 million and filed criminal cases against those involved in the illegal activity.

Through the Interim Customs Accreditation and Registration  (ICARE), Biazon also cancelled the accreditation of 39  companies and cooperatives found involved in illegal rice importation, increasing to 170 the number of rice importers blacklisted by the BOC.

He said with the delisting of importers, a “big syndicate” of rice smugglers was dismantled by the bureau.

Records showed that since last year, some P600 million worth of smuggled rice from India,Vietnam and Taiwan had been intercepted in various ports by the BOC.

“The good performance of Biazon was not surprising as he instituted various reforms in the BOC,” farmers’ group leader Roberto de la Cruz said.

“Biazon has made history by outperforming former commissioners of the BOC as far as the drive against agri-products smuggling is concerned,” he said.