BoC warns oil firms to comply with fuel marking program by February

MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Customs (BOC) on Wednesday warned oil companies to comply with the fuel marking program by February or else their fuel stocks will be confiscated and their gasoline stations may face closure.

“All fuel that are going to be for the consumption of the public, that are intended to be tax-paid, should be marked by February 9, 2020,” BOC Assistant Commissioner Vince Maronilla said in a press briefing in Malacañang.

“Kung mahuhulihan ang mga kumpanya ng hindi markado o hindi pasadong langis, maaaring kumpiskahin ng gobyerno ang mga ito dagdag pa ang pagsampa ng kaukulang kaso, pagbabayad ng multa o posibleng pagpapasara ng gas station,” he said.

(If the companies will be caught to have fuel that are not marked, the government may confiscate these and they may face charges, penalties and possible closure of their gas station.)

Maronilla said the Customs has so far marked 2.5 billion liters of fuel across various facilities of oil companies nationwide.

“Sa ngayon, nakapag-marka na ang Bureau of Customs at ang Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) ng humigit kumulang na 2.5 bilyon angkat na gawang langis sa 24 na mga terminal sa batangas, dalawang refinery kasama ang mga lugar sa Subic, Bataan, Cebu, Leyte, Davao at Cagayan De Oro,” he said.

(For now, the Bureau of Customs and the Bureau of Internal Revenue have marked 2.5 billion liters of fuel in 24 terminals in Batangas, two refineries, and in areas of Subic, Bataan, Cebu, Leyte, Davao and Cagayan de Oro.)

Under the program’s guidelines, the BOC leads fuel marking in depots, tank trucks, vessels, warehouses, and other fuel-transporting vehicles, while the BIR oversees testing in refineries, their attached depots, gasoline stations, and other retail outlets.

The fuel marking program was aimed at combating smuggling and misdeclaration to further increase the government’s revenues from oil products.

Meanwhile, Maronilla said Customs is eyeing to collect P10 billion in additional revenues from the fuel marking program’s full implementation this year.