Nearly 94 percent of the Bureau of Customs’ (BOC) process are digitalized, with full modernization expected by 2026.
BOC assistant commissioner Vincent Philip Maronilla said at the Laging Handa public briefing yesterday said the bureau has apprehended P19.22 billion worth of smuggled items in the first quarter alone, which he said is the biggest value recorded in recent history.
Maronilla said the BOC is working on its Customs Modernization Project with the help of World Bank which lent P18 million to modernize the entire customs processing system, including the x-ray and administrative backup system.
“This 94 percent we digitalized will be further improved and will be further coordinated with other agencies and will be at par with other progressive customs administrations in other countries once we complete this project,” Maronilla said.
“When this comes into completion by 2026, we will be fully digitized and modernized,” he added.
Maronilla said some of the smuggled items seized in the first quarter include cigarettes, illegal drugs, agricultural products and products that violate intellectual property rights, among others.
The BOC earlier reported it posted a strong collection performance in the first quarter of 2023, as it exceeded its collection goal by 8.43 percent.
The BOC said it collected P213.619 billion in January to March, versus the revenue target of P197.02 billion for the same period.
The bureau’s collection for March 2023 alone was P80.133 billion, exceeding its goal of P72.282 billion by 10.86 percent.
The BOC’s collection performance for the first quarter of 2023 is also a significant improvement from the same period last year, exceeding the P188.557 billion collection in 2022 by 13.29 percent. Angela Celis
