THE BUREAU of Customs (BoC) surpassed its revenue target for 2023 amid improved collection, trade facilitation and anti-smuggling activities, the Department of Finance (DoF) said on Monday.
Data from the DoF showed that the agency collected P883.624 billion as of Dec. 31, 2023, exceeding its P874.166-billion full-year target by 1.08%.
This was also 2.46% higher than its P862.419-billion collection in 2022.
Collections by the agency’s Post Clearance Audit Group rose by 6.43% to P1.959 billion last year.
The BoC also generated P1.793 billion in revenues from Prior Disclosure Program applications, P166.286 million from other audit findings, and P164.503 million from the sale of forfeited goods through public auctions.
Customs said as of end-2023 its digitalization rate stood at 96.99%, which is equivalent to 161 out of 166 customs processes.
“Several initiatives in the pipeline include the BoC e-Pay Portal System, the e-Auction System, the Automated Export Declaration System (AEDS), and the National Customs Intelligence System,” it added.
In 2023, Customs also said that it seized P43.295 billion worth of smuggled goods.
The BoC filed 90 criminal cases before the Department of Justice. Of this, 60 cases were related to agricultural smuggling. This was followed by 13 cases related to fuel, four related to food items, four related to illegal drugs, four related to general merchandise, one related to cigarettes and one related to used clothing.
“In 2023, the BoC also recorded four conviction cases on the unlawful importation of general merchandise, cigarettes, and agricultural products,” it said.
“As part of monitoring efforts and post-evaluation of importers and brokers, the bureau revoked the accreditation of 118 importers and 46 customs brokers found to be in violation of the provisions stipulated in the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act,” it added.
The BoC is expected to collect P1 trillion this year, based on the latest Budget of Expenditures and Sources of Financing.
“In 2024, (I) expect the bureau to continue modernizing its customs administration and processes to effectively curb illicit trade, generate more revenues to fund the government’s priority development projects, ensure the protection of our consumers, and enhance the country’s ease of doing business,” Finance Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno said in a statement. — Luisa Maria Jacinta C. Jocson
