Customs to halve workforce by next year

The Bureau of Customs (BOC) is eyeing to slash its workforce by half next year while reducing the time it takes and signatures needed to secure import permits.

Customs Commissioner Alberto D. Lina told reporters that as part of efforts to combat corruption in the country’s second-biggest tax-collection agency, the BOC is lobbying for the increase of its employees’ pay under the proposed Customs Modernization and Tariff Act, but is likewise looking at rightsizing the workforce by next year.

At present, the BOC has about 4,400 employees. Lina said the “right size” should be about 2,200.

“Since we’re automating customs processes, we may need only half of the current number of personnel. We could raise salaries when there are fewer employees,” the customs chief said, adding that the casualties would most likely be administrative and clerical workers.

Lina earlier said that up to 150 BOC personnel nationwide will also be transferred to other units as the agency plans to do away with unnecessary export and import procedures.