BI posts record P717-M collection

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) announced it has posted a record collection of P717.5 million for the first half of this year as foreign visitors and expatriates continued to flock into the country.

Immigration Commissioner Alipio Fernandez Jr. said their collection was P165 million above their target revenue for the period and over P91.3 million above the reported collection during the same period last year.

The BI chief said the figure could still rise since it did not include the revenue of their field offices in the provinces.

Fernandez has attributed the collection to the continued influx of foreigners, especially tourists, in the country. He also believes the sharp rise in collection could be attributed to easing of bureau’s rules and procedures in processing visa applications.

He is confident the bureau would post an all-time high collection this year and maintain its post as among a few government agencies that have consistently collected over P1 billion annually in the last few years. The BI has a collection target of P1.104 billion this year.

BI records showed the bureau collected P1.27 billion in 2005, P1.1 billion in 2004, P1.09 billion in 2003, and P1.07 billion in 2002.

Immigration finance chief Elvira Presado revealed the bureau’s collection was highest in January when it earned P135.59 million, followed by P126.9 million in February, and P113.1 million in March.

BI officials noted that the bureau’s income would have been higher if not for the implementation of the dual citizenship law.

As a result of the said law, former Filipinos who re-acquired their citizenship are no longer under the BI’s jurisdiction and have stopped paying immigration fees. – Edu Punay