Customs fails to achieve 2019 collection target

Collections of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) rose by 6.3% in 2019, but this was not enough for the agency to meet its full-year target of P661.04 billion.

In a statement, the BOC said collections grew to P630.47 billion in 2019, equivalent to 95.4% of its full-year target. The latest figure is an increase from P593 billion in 2018.

The largest revenues were collected at the Manila International Container Port (P164.404 billion), Port of Batangas (P152.222 billion), and Port of manila (P74.812 billion), but still short of their respective targets.

Other ports that failed to achieve their targets were the Port of NAIA (P43.238 billion), the Port of Cebu (P31.274 billion), the Port of Davao (P27.986 billion), the Port of Clark (P1.940 billion), and the Port of Surigao (P19.43 million).

On the other hand, nine of the 17 collection districts reached their targets -- Port of Limay (P56.332 billion), Port of Cagayan de Oro (P34.540 billion), Port of Subic (P32.373 billion), Port of San Fernando (P4.237 billion), and Port of Iloilo (P3.406 billion).

"The Bureau’s effort to institute systems innovation, such as the Goods Declaration Verification System (GDVS) and the National Value Verification System (NVVS), also helped the agency sustain its collection in 2019," it said.

The GDVC is a queue management system that allows stakeholders to get real-time updates on the status of their goods declaration, while the NVVS is a guide for assessment personal to determine the accuracy of the declared value of goods. — RSJ, GMA News