The value of smuggled goods seized by the Bureau of Customs (BOC) so far this year has reached a record-breaking P40 billion, a customs official said.
“So far this year the value (of apprehended smuggled goods) has reached roughly P40 billion. This is the highest in the BOC’s history, in terms of value and quantity,” Vincent Philip Maronilla, BOC assistant commissioner and spokesperson, said in a televised interview yesterday.
Maronilla said for the month of September alone, more than P80 million worth of smuggled goods were apprehended by the BOC.
The customs official also highlighted the BOC exceeded its target collection for October with nearly P80 billion in total revenues.
Preliminary data showed that BOC collections reached P78.616 billion in October, higher by 1.4 percent or P1.08 billion above its collection target for the month.
For January to October, BOC revenues reached P739 billion, 2.4 percent or P17.287 billion higher than its P721.717 billion target collection for the period.
This year’s revenue also increased by 3.57 percent or P25.482 billion from the previous year’s collection of P713.522 billion.
Maronilla said despite the decline in the volume of imports, the BOC is able to meet its goals as focus was given on items that could improve revenue efficiency, together with better trade facilitation.
Last October 18, the BOC further boosted its trade facilitation efforts with the signing of a memorandum of agreement with PHLPOST aimed at expediting clearances, enhancing security controls and simplifying customs procedures.
“Our relentless drive against smuggling and the implementation of trade efficiency measures significantly contributed to the increase in revenue collection. We are doubling our efforts to provide financial resources to support the government’s programs and projects,” Customs Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio previously said.
The BOC is also ramping up its digitalization efforts by developing new systems and modern facilities to further streamline procedures and reduce processing times in import and export transactions.
