BOC Cebu surpasses P8.6 billion target in 2012
Despite a sharp decrease in revenue collection in the last four months of 2012, the Bureau of Customs Cebu District was able to surpass its P8.6 billion target.
Behind this solid revenue collection was Kepco-SPC Power Corp. which operates a 200-megawatt coal-fired power plant in Naga City and SteelAsia Manufacturing Corporation, Cebu Customs District Collector Ronnie Silvestre said.
Also notable in 2012 is the entry of a food processing company in the top 20 importers – the Virginia Food Corp.
He added, the performance of Customs Cebu District would have been higher had Seaoil Philippines, Inc. maintained its operations here. Last September, Seaoil, Inc. which was the top importer in 2011 moved their operations to Bacolod.
Last year’s revenue collection performance is an improvement to 2011’s performance where the Cebu District had a shortfall of P100-million.
“We are hopeful that they would increase their importation volume this year,” Silvestre said, who admitted that smuggling in the Cebu International Port is still a problem.
To address this, Silvestre said, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) has to strengthen the law enforcement operations of the Customs Police.
Silvestre will turn over the reign of the Customs Cebu District to Edward dela Cuesta, who was reassigned from the Clark International Airpor in Pampanga, today.
The Customs Cebu District will host today the BOC’s 111th anniversary at the old Customs Building near Plaza Independencia.
This the first time the BOC will celebrate its anniversary outside Manila.
The reshuffling of district collectors according to Customs Commissioner Ruffy Biazon is one of the measures the agency is undertaking to meet 2013 revenue collection target of P394 billion.
“We are now doing a re-configuration of our organizational structure, especially among our frontline officials, to re-position our district collectors where they can be most productive.” Biazon said in a statement in the BOC website, www.customs.gov.ph./Correspondent Joy Cherry Quito
