The government was able to rake in P165.96 billion last year from taxes slapped on fuel products, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) said in a statement yesterday.
According to the BOC, it was able to mark 17.04 billion liters of gasoline, diesel and kerosene from January to December 2021 through the continuing implementation of the fuel marking program.
“In line with the program’s campaign to address fuel smuggling, the BOC and Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) apprehended a total of 86,888 liters of diesel and kerosene and seized two units of tank trucks carrying unmarked fuel with estimated value of P5.16 million and P7.4 million, respectively,” the BOC said.
“Tanks of eight retail stations where these unmarked fuel were found was likewise sealed and recommended for filing of criminal cases,” it added.
The agency said since the program’s implementation in September 2019, the BOC and BIR marked 34.59 billion liters of fuel and generated revenue amounting to P313.98 billion.
The fuel marking program is mandated under the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Law to curb oil smuggling and misdeclaration of petroleum products in the country, and increase revenue collection from taxable imported and locally refined petroleum products.
The program uses an official fuel marker, a unique chemical marker detectable at a molecular level, allowing for authorities to test, identify and distinguish petroleum products with paid excise taxes in the market from those without.
Participating companies in the program include Petron, Shell, Unioil, Seaoil, Insular Oil, Phoenix Petroleum, Chevron, Filoil Logistics, Jetti, Marubeni, PTT, Total-Filoil, Goldenshare, Micro Dragon, Warbucks, ERA1 Petroleum, High Glory Subic, SL Harbour, Trafigura, Jadelink, Power Fill, Apex, SL Gas, RK3, Fueleast and Petrotrade.
