BOC to undergo another revamp

The Bureau of Customs may conduct another major reorganization in its bid to meet this year’s P228-billion target collection, BOC Commissioner Napoleon Morales said yesterday.

Morales said he will meet with the selection board of the Department of Finance soon after the report on the collection performance of all 15 Customs port districts for the first quarter of the year is finalized.

"We still have the same policy. We are tasked to meet a collection target, so those who continue to fail to meet their respective assigned target must be replaced," he said.

Morales said the BOC cannot afford to tolerate incompetence among district collectors since the bureau is given a task that is crucial for the government and the country.

"We are raising revenue for government projects, which means many people depend on us. This is why we have to do everything to meet our target," he said.

Morales said they have yet to determine who will be affected by the reshuffle. He also clarified the BOC can implement a reorganization despite an existing ban by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on the transfer of government personnel during this election period, which ends 45 days after May 14.

"We are usually given exemption by the Comelec on this ban since we are collection-based and we are not involved in politics anyway. They already granted exemption to BOC in the past. And this reshuffle, if there would be any, has to be a priority for the government," he said.

Existing election rules prohibit the reassignment, relief and replacement or appointment of government officers or personnel during the election period, which began Jan. 14 and ends on June 13. The Comelec, however, reserves the right to grant exemptions.

Morales earlier said the bureau is up for another major revamp as a result of failure of most district collectors – including those at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) and Manila International Container Port (MICP) – to meet their respective assigned target revenues last year.

He said they were just waiting for the approval of the Finance department to implement the reshuffle.

In the last reshuffle ordered by Morales last year, Batangas port district collector Adelina Molina replaced MICP district collector Carlos So, who was transferred to NAIA.

NAIA district collector Ricardo Belmonte, on the other hand, replaced Cebu port district collector Lourdes Mangaoang, who was transferred to the Ilo-ilo port. NAIA deputy collector Grace Caringal replaced Molina in Batangas.

Subic port district collector Andres Salvacion replaced Cagayan de Oro port district collector Roberto Sacramento. MICP deputy collector Tita Somerano replaced Salvacion in Subic.

Morales said the reshuffle is part of the bureau’s five-point action plan to meet the P228-billion revenue target set by the Development Budget Coordinating Committee last week.

He was dismayed over reports made by the BOC’s finance service office that several district collectors consistently fell short of their targets last year.

Morales said he always reminded his men, especially the district collectors and their staff at the frontline of collection operations of the Lateral Attrition Law.

This law, signed by President Arroyo in 2005, provides for a system of reward for personnel who surpass their revenue collection targets, and punishment, including dismissal, for those found guilty of certain offenses.