The Bureau of Customs (BOC) is looking at a P1.06 trillion collection this year, aiming for a 0.95 percent increase over the P1.03 trillion target set for 2024.
Actual collection last year from January to November has reached P850 billion, BOC data show. The BOC in 2023 collected P883.62 trillion, BOC data show.
Speaking at the Bureau’s annual New Year’s Call this week, Customs Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio mentioned his confidence in the BOC’s “ability to rise to the challenge through collective effort and resilience.”
This 2025, let us set an even higher standard for ourselves and the Bureau of Customs. We should remain steadfast in guarding our borders, facilitating legitimate trade, and ensuring the lawful collection of revenue,” Rubio said in his address.
Rubio outlined the Bureau’s priorities for 2025, built around its 5-Point Priority Program (5-PPP): digitalizing customs processes, surpassing revenue targets, simplifying procedures and facilitating secure trade, curbing smuggling, and enhancing employee welfare and development.
As of the end-November last year, The Custom’s collection reached P850 billion, up 4.7 percent from the prior year, helping government tax collection to reach P3.55 trillion with an 11.5 percent year-on-year increase. Of the total, the Bureau of Internal Revenue collected P2.67 trillion, up 13.9 percent.
Finance Secretary Ralph Recto earlier said government revenues were expected to reach 16.7 percent of GDP in 2024, the highest in more than 27 years since 1997 and plans to keep it at that level.
“The average in the region is about 16 percent. So we’re not [doing] bad. I think next year we want to maintain at least 16.5 percent revenue-to-GDP,” Recto said, referring to 2025.
Recto said strong economic growth, the passage of new tax measures and improved collection efficiency will support the goal of keeping revenues at the 16 percent level.
