[av_one_full first min_height=” vertical_alignment=” space=” custom_margin=” margin=’0px’ padding=’0px’ border=” border_color=” radius=’0px’ background_color=” src=” background_position=’top left’ background_repeat=’no-repeat’ animation=”]
[av_heading heading=’Major revamp of ‘inept’ Customs sought ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY PRINCE GOLEZ
[/av_heading]
[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=”]
MANILA – Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon on Sunday called for a “major revamp” of the Bureau of Customs.
“We can no longer trust the incompetence of its officials led by Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon,” Drilon said in a statement.
Reorganization will enable the bureau to hit its revenue collection target, among others, said the Ilonggo senator.
Customs collected only P210.64 billion from January to June, which was short of its P218.71-billion target, Drilon said, citing government figures.
“Such a situation forces the government’s hands to put the burden of raising revenue on the people by way of increasing taxes,” he said.
Drilon claimed the “high level of corruption” at Customs will have a serious impact on the government’s massive infrastructure investments.
“The government can no longer rely on the current leadership of the Bureau of Customs to collect taxes necessary to fund the government’s programs, particularly big-ticket infrastructure projects that the government has outlined under its ‘Build, Build, Build’ program,” he said.
And if corruption does not thrive at Customs and smuggling is arrested, raising taxes on fuel products will not be needed to offset the reduction in personal income taxes, Drilon said.
Moreover, heads must roll in light of the controversial shipment of 604 kilograms of shabu in Valenzuela City, said Drilon.
“Those involved in the shipment of this unprecedented P6.4 billion worth of shabu should be made accountable,” he said./PN
[/av_textblock]
[/av_one_full]
