The government has raked in more than P1 trillion in taxes with the implementation of the fuel marking program (FMP), according to the Bureau of Customs (BOC).
In a statement, the BOC said it recently had a high-level briefing with SGS Philippines Inc. and SICPA SA to review the status of the FMP the country.
The SICPA team presented key developments in the program, reporting that as of November 2024, a total of 89.35 billion liters of fuel have been successfully marked.
This generated P1.028 trillion in taxes since program implementation in 2019, with P204.18 billion collected in 2024 alone.
This highlights the significant impact of the collaboration between BOC, SGS and SICPA in ensuring fuel integrity and compliance.
This strengthened partnership has also contributed to 84 apprehensions and the filing of 21 fuel smuggling cases, including a conviction for illegal fuel trading.
“With continued efforts to enhance enforcement thresholds, BOC, SGS and SICPA remain committed to combating fuel smuggling and ensuring fair tax collection across the country,” the bureau said.
The joint-venture of Switzerland-based SICPA SA and SGS Philippines is the provider for the fuel marking system.
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.
