MANILA, Philippines—The Bureau of Customs (BoC) has asked the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to identify employees “on the take” or involved in corrupt practices.

Customs Commissioner Angelito “Lito” A. Alvarez said the BIR will play a major role when the Customs bureau begins checking the lifestyle of its officials and employees to identify and weed out corrupt and inept workers among its ranks and reward those who are honestly serving the government.

“We have some ideas with regard to these people,” Alvarez said in a television interview. “But what we are doing right now is that if there will be promotions and changes in the organization, we would like to ensure that part of the process is a lifestyle check.”

Citizens’ tips

Alvarez also said he would attend to all reports from citizens about erring employees who are feasting on brokers and importers, according to the bureau’s press statement.

Part of Alvarez’s strategy against smuggling and corruption is to strengthen the bureau’s monitor group and to tap experts from various business sectors.

To monitor underperforming regional offices, Alvarez said automating the collecting processes in the agency will be crucial in determining and tracking the volume of importation and duties being paid.

“If there is a situation wherein we will be seeing the duties and taxes on an average basis is (declining) that’s a very bad sign,” Alvarez said.

Bad sign

“But if we will be seeing dramatic improvements in the duties and taxes that are being collected—which is what I am seeing right now—I think that is a very, very positive development,” he added.

Recently, Alvarez ordered the abolition of the Customs Accreditation Secretariat (CAS) which was the unit behind the accreditation of importers and brokers.

Alvarez gave the order after he received complaints from established importers groups and brokers that two out of 10 accredited importers and brokers by CAS were fly-by-night companies that are being merely used as fronts by smugglers.

The shake-up, Alvarez said, “is meant to rid the BoC of its perennial faults, defects, and weaknesses.”

In Customs Memorandum Order No. 30-2010, Alvarez replaced CAS with the Interim Customs Accreditation and Registration (ICARE) whose main task is “to purge bogus companies from the master list of accredited importers and brokers.”