Malacañang announced on Wednesday that the Bureau of Customs (BOC) exceeded its September target by 11.5 percent, collecting P25.9 billion last month or P2.6 billion more than its P23.3-billion goal.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said in his weekly news briefing that the revenue figures, reported by Customs Commissioner Napoleon Morales to President Arroyo and the Cabinet on Tuesday, is “an indication of the increasing efficiency in tax collection of the Bureau of Customs” despite its reputation as a graft-prone agency.

Reading from the report of Morales, Ermita added: “The Bureau of Customs managed to collect from January to September this year P193.3 billion, exceeding the target of P185.9 billion, and exceeding the actual collection of P152.9 billion for the same period last year by 26.4 percent.”

In September last year the BOC collected P19 billion, or 36 percent less in the same period this year, he said.

Ermita also said, “The BOC [somehow] has collected enough up to September that shows that somehow they are able to improve on their collection” amid its ongoing campaign against corruption.

He said that in the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, the President directed Morales “to see to it that the big ports meet their targets,” after being told that some did not meet their goals.

“But in spite that, other ports that were able to meet their targets are able to post these figures, giving us increases in our revenue collection through the BOC,” he said.

The Bureau of the Treasury is expected to release the official revenue collection figures of the BOC next week.

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BOC exceeds September collection by 11.5 percent

Malacañang announced on Wednesday that the Bureau of Customs (BOC) exceeded its September target by 11.5 percent, collecting P25.9 billion last month or P2.6 billion more than its P23.3-billion goal.