Customs eyes P12B revenue for 2014

THE Bureau of Customs (BOC) district in Cebu has set a target collection of P12.4 billion this year or P3 billion more than what it collected last year.

Customs district collector Roberto Almadin said this year’s revenue target is 43 percent higher than their P8.7 billion target last year.

“On one hand, I am happy with the trust given to us that we can collect the amount. But I am also worried whether or not we can really collect the amount,” Almadin said.

Newly-appointed Customs Commissioner John Philippe Sevilla earlier promised to increase transparency in BOC’s operations by posting all port entry transactions online.

The Cebu port is the biggest in the Visayas and accounts for 80 percent of all shipping activity.

Last November, Cebu ranked sixth nationwide in revenue collection by generating more than P9 billion of its P8.7 billion target.

Cebu was the first port outside of Manila that Sevilla visited as part of a swing through the Visayas and Mindanao.

Almadin said his office started instituting reforms in the Cebu port district.

“I don’t have enough courage to say that it’s (BOC Cebu) now corruption-free. But we assure you that we are doing our best,” he said.

Sevilla said eliminating smuggling is also prioritized not only to raise revenues but to protect farmers from the flood of cheap, imported agricultural products.

Media access

Almadin also said there had been no media practitioners being implicated in corruption in their district since he assumed office two months ago.

He said Sevilla issued a memorandum ordering the accreditation of media practitioners covering the BOC starting Feb. 1.

To promote transparency in BOC operations, Almadin said they’re willing to tour media practitioners in their area.

Almadin said two more X-ray machines. will be operating in the Cebu International Port starting February.