Honest, efficient Customs must be rewarded, says solon

Cibac Partylist Representative Sherwin Tugna. FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Ensuring customs officials and staff are well-compensated could “inspire” them to “remain true to their responsibilities as public servants,” a lawmaker said.

Cibac Partylist Representative Sherwin Tugna said there was a need for officials and employees of the Bureau of Customs to be exempted from the salary standardization law “provided, there are reasonable limitations that will prevent lazy officials and employees from the benefit of receiving higher salaries without commensurate efforts.”

President Benigno Aquino III berated the BOC for its failure to effectively stamp out smuggling in his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA), prompting Customs Commissioner Ruffy Biazon and several other officials to offer their resignation.

Tugna said that the Lateral Attrition Law or Republic Act 9335 should be reviewed and a system of rewards and sanctions could “encourage BOC officials and employees to exceed their revenue targets.”

“The law must have sufficient safeguards to ensure that the determination that revenue received exceeded the targets was properly done,” he said.

“Honest and performing officials and employees are rewarded while those who fail to meet their quotas are sanctioned,” added the Cibac lawmaker.

Aside from ensuring that customs officials were “well-compensated” and were encouraged to exceed their targets, Tugna said there was also a need to make smuggling a non-bailable act.

He said that the Tariff and Customs Code should be amended to make smuggling a non-bailable offense “when the amount of goods unlawfully imported reaches an amount considered to be huge.”