BOC

Sen. Bam calls for absolute transparency to end corruption in Customs

Senator Bam Aquino called on the leadership of the Bureau of Customs (BoC) to implement absolute transparency in all its dealings to eradicate corruption in the bureau and hold Customs personnel liable for smuggling and drug trafficking.

 The senator made this call to BoC commissioner Isidro Lapena during the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on the P6.4 billion shabu that made its way into the country through the Port of Manila.

 “Hindi sana nakapasok ang tone-toneladang droga kung walang korupsyon sa Customs,” said Sen. Bam.

 Among the moves suggested by Sen. Bam is the use of x-rays in all the ports in the country and allowing the video feed to be broaddcast live online. By making the inspection process transparent and open to the public and available online anytime, Sen. Bam hopes to stamp out corruption.

 “Iyong pinakamagandang kalaban ng dilim, ilaw. Kaya ilawan natin and make the process transparent. Tingnan natin kung magkakaroon ng undervaluation kung gagawin nating transparent ang proseso,” said Sen. Bam.

 “The private sector, maaari rin silang magbuo ng watchdog groups upang mabawasan ang pagpasok ng smuggled items sa bansa,” the lawmaker added.

By allowing different groups to witness the inspection process, Sen. Bam said the space for corruption will be reduced and the revenue would go directly to the government and not to the pockets of unscrupulous individuals preying on brokers and other stakeholders.

Sen. Bam lamented that the current reforms undertaken by Lapena, such as moving two collectors to different positions, are not enough, saying the system should undergo a major change to totally erase corruption in the bureau.

 “Hindi na sapat ang paglilipat ng tao. If it means changing systems, which I think is the only solution to the problem, gawin natin,” said Sen. Bam, assuring Lapena that the Senate will support his initiatives to reform the bureau.

 Sen. Bam also urged Lapena to hold liable Customs personnel behind the smuggling and trafficking of illegal drugs.  “Hindi papasok ang droga kung walang corruption sa BoC,” Sen. Bam stressed.

Sen. Bam: Gov’t losing needed revenue on corrupt Customs

Sen. Bam Aquino said the government is losing much-needed revenue due to corruption in the Bureau of Customs (BoC).

“Not only are we bringing in drugs, we’re also losing money on smuggled goods because of corruption in the BoC,” said Sen. Bam after the hearing on the P6.4 billion worth of shabu that slipped past the bureau’s watch.

“Habang pinoproblema ang tax reform at pagpondo sa libreng edukasyon sa mga state universities and colleges (SUCs), hinahayaan lang na mawala ang kita ng gobyerno sa imports dahil sa korupsyon sa Customs,” added Sen. Bam.

It was reported that the BoC fell short of its target for July by 11.2 percent. Last month, the bureau collected P34.8 billion in import duties and other taxes, short of the P39.2-billion target.

As of end-July, the BoC’s collection was pegged at P246.9 billion, 3.9 percent short of its goal of P257.1 billion during that span.

Instead of bringing in new personnel, Sen. Bam said the government must implement new systems that will make the BoC efficient and corruption-free.

“Kahit araw-araw tayong magpalit ng tauhan sa BoC, wala ring mangyayari kung mananatili ang mga lumang sistema na pinag-uugatan ng katiwalian sa ahensiya,” Sen. Bam stressed.

Earlier, Sen. Bam criticized authorities for allowing the shipment of 600 kilos of shabu slip past their watch.  The senator called it a case of “negligence with corruption”, where some Customs employees accept bribes to deliberately overlook illegal shipments.

Sen. Bam: Gov’t losing needed revenue on corrupt Customs

Sen. Bam Aquino said the government is losing much-needed revenue due to corruption in the Bureau of Customs (BoC).

“Not only are we bringing in drugs, we’re also losing money on smuggled goods because of corruption in the BoC,” said Sen. Bam after the hearing on the P6.4 billion worth of shabu that slipped past the bureau’s watch.

“Habang pinoproblema ang tax reform at pagpondo sa libreng edukasyon sa mga state universities and colleges (SUCs), hinahayaan lang na mawala ang kita ng gobyerno sa imports dahil sa korupsyon sa Customs,” added Sen. Bam.

It was reported that the BoC fell short of its target for July by 11.2 percent. Last month, the bureau collected P34.8 billion in import duties and other taxes, short of the P39.2-billion target.

As of end-July, the BoC’s collection was pegged at P246.9 billion, 3.9 percent short of its goal of P257.1 billion during that span.

Instead of bringing in new personnel, Sen. Bam said the government must implement new systems that will make the BoC efficient and corruption-free.

“Kahit araw-araw tayong magpalit ng tauhan sa BoC, wala ring mangyayari kung mananatili ang mga lumang sistema na pinag-uugatan ng katiwalian sa ahensiya,” Sen. Bam stressed.

Earlier, Sen. Bam criticized authorities for allowing the shipment of 600 kilos of shabu slip past their watch.  The senator called it a case of “negligence with corruption”, where some Customs employees accept bribes to deliberately overlook illegal shipments.

Sen. Bam: Stop enabling smugglers and inconveniencing OFWs

Sen. Bam Aquino chided the Bureau of Customs (BOC) for making it easy for big-time smugglers to bring in contrabands into the country while burdening overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) with strict requirements in the entry of Balikbayan boxes.

 “Habang pinapahirapan ang mga OFWs na magpadala ng gamit sa kanilang mahal sa buhay, labas-masok naman ang kontrabando sa Super Green Lane (SGL),” said Sen. Bam, referring to the P6.4 billion shabu shipment what was allowed to pass through the Super Green Lanes (SGL).

 To help prevent port congestion, Super Green Lanes were put in place to allow fast tracking of shipments based on the discretion of the BOC.

 “Ito ba ang direksiyon ng BOC para maresolba ang problema sa smuggling? Pahirapan ang mga OFWs at palagpasin ang mga big time smugglers?” asked Sen. Bam, adding that the intention of SGL to facilitate transaction with exporters and importers was put in a bad light due to this incident.

“Ilan pa kayang kontrabando at droga ang nakakalusot sa mga Super Green Lanes natin?” questioned Sen. Bam.

 Sen. Bam further criticized the BOC’s new rules on how overseas Filipino can send home a balikbayan box, including the pasting on the box a detailed list of contents and putting the receipts of items purchased inside.

“They leave the country to provide for their family and they keep our economy afloat. The government should allow them their privileges. They do not deserve the additional hassles and harassment,” said Sen. Bam.

 Sen. Bam was the co-author of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act of 2016, which allows OFWs to send up to three P150,000-worth of tax and duty free balikbayan boxes in a year, given that goods are not in commercial quantities nor intended for barter, sale or for hire.

 The senator also pushed for the increase in the value of de minimis from P10 to P10,000 through his Senate Bill No. 2373.

 

Bam on Balikbayan Boxes, Internet Infrastructure (Excerpts from Interview at Radyo Inquirer 990)

On Internet Infrastructure

 

Sen. Bam: Baka panahon na iyong gobyerno mismo ang maglatag ng fiber optic highway.

Ang modelo kasi sa ibang bansa, naglalatag ang gobyerno ng fiber tapos ang private sector nagre-rent sa gobyerno. Makukuha mo pa rin iyan, dahil gobyerno lang ang nag-upfront.

Habang dini-develop mo ang area, mas magiging viable iyan sa private sector, mas magre-rent sila, mas mababayaran ang infrastructure natin.

Sabi ko nga kay NEDA Secretary Balisacan, Secretary narito na ang NTC, DTI, DOST at private sector, puwede ba sa next hearing natin pag-usapan ang mga solusyon. Kasi ang previous hearings, puro about consumer complaint, na makuha ang tapat na binabayaran, kasi kahit po iyon, hindi nakukuha ng ating kababayan.

Ang next diyan, ano ang long-term solutions at ano ba ang pondong kailangan para dito. Pakiramdam ko kailangang pondohan iyan kasi nakasalalay diyan ang competitiveness ng ating bansa.

Iyong ekonomiya natin maganda ang takbo pero in a few years makita ng investors na mabagal ang Internet diyan, baka hindi pa maging tuluy-tuloy ang investments natin.

Tsaka iyong jobs natin nakasalalay sa Internet infrastructure kaya tuluy-tuloy ang pagtutok natin dito.

 

On the Balikbayan Box Issue

 

Q: Sa balikbayan box, napakainit na usapin po ito. Ano ang pakiramdam ninyo rito, ano ang posisyon niyo sa pag-open, by random, ng balikbayan boxes.

 

Sen. Bam: Matagal na akong nag-file ng bill na pagtataas ng de minimis. Ang de minimis po, kasi sa ating bansa, ten pesos lang. More than ten pesos lang, puwede nang i-tax. Napakaluma na ng probisyong iyan, hindi pa binabago.

Kahit mag-uwi po ako ng tsokolate mula sa ibang bansa, technically puwede na akong i-tax doon kasi hindi nila ina-update iyong ten pesos.

Nag-file na po ako a few months ago, na ang ten pesos gawing ten thousand pesos. Kaya kung less than P10,000, hindi na dapat iyan puwedeng i-tax. Of course, ang ginagawa ngayon wala na lang pumapansin.

 

Q: Iyong act ng pagbubukas mismo. Iyong random inspection?

 

Sen. Bam: Sa totoo lang, we have to check kung ano ang mga patakaran diyan. Kasi ang isyu naman ng BOC ay pagdating sa drugs at mga baril.

I also don’t know kung gaano kadalas nangyayari iyon. Gaano ba kadalas nakakapasok ang drugs at baril sa balikbayan box.

 

Q: Ang ginagawa nila, kaakibat daw ng tamang pagpapataw ng buwis. Tulad ng sinabi ninyo, the root cause here is that after ten pesos puwede ka nang buwisan. Ang solusyon niyo, kapag P10,000 exempted na, wala nang babayaran.

 

Sen. Bam: Matagal ko na pong na-file iyon, hindi na po iyan nahi-hear. I hope that it can pass into law, number one.

Number two, ang comment ng mga tao, ang dami-daming mga smuggling ng container bakit pati balikbayan box, binibigyan nila ng pansin.

Naiintindihan ko iyon kasi it’s not as if iyong smuggling sa ating bansa wala na, iyong malakihang smuggling. Noong isang linggo lang, maraming luxury car ang nahuli.

Baka rin nasa kung ano talaga ang focus. At the same time, suportahan po natin ang OFWs. Taasan po natin iyong de minimis. Iyon ang batas na gusto nating isulong.

 

Q: Hindi alam ng taumbayan na ang de minimis, hindi pa pala naamyendahan, at iyon ang ginagamit ng Bureau of Customs ngayon para magbayad ng mas matindi pa ang taumbayan.

 

Sen. Bam: I’m sure magkaka-hearing po na niyan. Isusulong po natin ang bill natin na  pagtaas ng de minimis, gawing P10,000, na kahit ibukas pa iyan, walang isyu, dahil karamihan ng nasa loob ng balikbayan box ay house items at personal items.

 

Bam Renews Call for Updated Fees for Balikbayan Boxes

Senator Bam Aquino renewed his call to update the current minimum fee threshold for balikbayan boxes, making it cheaper and hassle-free for 10 million overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to send their packages to their loved ones in the Philippines. 

Sen. Bam, chairman of the Senate Committee on Trade, Commerce and Entrepreneurship, issued the pronouncement after OFWs expressed alarm over the Bureau of Customs’ plan to tax and randomly inspect balikbayan boxes as part of the agency’s anti-smuggling campaign.

Last Aug. 26, 2014, Sen. Bam filed Senate Bill No. 2373, seeking to update the current de minimis threshold, or the minimal volume of declaration of goods in the customs for consignments, balikbakan boxes and other low-value and low-risk packages.

“Now that the spotlight is focused on the issue, we call on fellow lawmakers to hasten the passage of the measure to make it cheaper and hassle-free for 10 million OFWs to send their packages to their loved ones in the Philippines,” Sen. Bam said. 

Currently, the Philippines has the lowest de minimis threshold in the ASEAN, at PhP10 or US$0.23. The ASEAN average threshold is at a hundred dollars.

In his bill, Sen. Bam wants the de minimis level to increase to a more realistic and relevant figure of P10,000 by amending Sec. 709 of the Tariff and Customs Code.

Through this, Aquino said balikbayan boxes and other packages of OFWs, entrepreneurs and other individuals will be processed by Customs faster with minimum fees.

“The extremely low Philippine threshold has not been changed since 1957 and is clearly antiquated. It needs to be updated to be reflective of current prices,” the senator said. 

The lawmaker explained that thresholds for customs declaration signify increased documentation and processes for shipments at entry points in the country.

“Increased documentation leads to larger turnover and delivery time of goods, and larger administration costs that would yield lower revenue impact for both businesses and government,” Sen. Bam said.

“While we understand that random inspection is part of our efforts to curb entry of illegal goods, we should not burden our honest and hardworking OFWs by subjecting their packages to searches that result in damages, pilferages, and loss of goods, which they purchased and sacrificed for their loved ones back home,” he added.

“In addition to this reform, let’s continue to modernize our Customs systems to make our inspections more transparent and efficient, and supportive to our OFW families,” Sen. Bam, who also presided over the port congestion hearings.

Furthermore, Sen. Bam stressed that it will enable the BOC to focus its efforts in looking out for high-value, high-risk and high-revenue goods for collection and enforcement.

Sen. Bam renews call to eliminate corruption in Port of Manila

Senator Bam Aquino reiterated his call to concerned authorities to eliminate corruption, extortion and other illegal activities in and around Port of Manila as they contribute to congestion, traffic and high prices of goods.

“If we’re going to fix this, we should do it completely and we should solve the issues for the long-term,” said Aquino, chairman of the Senate Committee on Trade, Commerce and Entrepreneurship.

“We should get rid of illegal activities such as extortion because they hamper the delivery of goods and contribute to the increase in prices of goods and services,” he added.

The senator said the government should apply the full force of the law against corrupt individuals who hamper port operations through their illegal activities.

“The government must show that it means business by going hard against these individuals who are making a living through illegal means,” he said.

Aquino renewed his pronouncement after Malacanang noticed that extortion activities in and around the port contributes to port congestion.

The senator made the same call during the first Senate hearing on port congestion where stakeholders complained about the “along the way” fees being collected by unscrupulous individuals.

“While decongesting our port is the main priority, concerned government agencies must also look at other factors that contribute to this problem, like corruption,” he said.

Aquino said extortion and corruption contribute to inefficiency, delaying the processing and delivery of shipments and discouraging truckers and shipping companies from fulfilling their obligation.

“Ultimately, the consumers will bear the full brunt of this because shipping companies will pass on to them their additional losses,” Aquino said.

The lawmaker also encouraged victims to come forward and file a case or complaint against those behind these illegal activities.

“We need the cooperation of everyone to combat corruption. As they say, evil will prevail if good men do nothing,” Aquino stressed.

The senator said complaints can be coursed through the WASAK or Walang Asenso sa Kotong Hotline (16565 and 0908-8816565) where entrepreneurs can air complaints against public officials.

Lower Customs Cost for OFWs’ Balikbayan Boxes, Packages – Sen. Bam

Good news for 10 million overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) burdened by the tedious and costly process of sending balikbayan boxes to their loved ones in the Philippines.

Sending balikbayan boxes and other low-value and low-risk packages to the Philippines will be faster and cheaper if the proposal of Senator Bam Aquino to update the current de minimis threshold is enacted into law.

“Sending a balikbayan box home especially this coming Christmas season becomes burdensome for these modern-day heroes. Currently, these packages undergo a tedious process in the customs and are charged fees that are discouraging for OFWs to send more regularly,” the senator said.

“There is a need to provide the ten million Filipinos abroad, who have been already contributing greatly to the economy the past four decades, a better customs administration by reducing the de minimis threshold,” he added.

Currently, the Philippines has the lowest de minimis threshold, or the minimal volume of declaration of goods in the customs for consignments, in the ASEAN, at PhP10 or US$0.23. The ASEAN average threshold is at a hundred dollars.

“The extremely low Philippine threshold has not been changed since 1957 and is clearly antiquated. It needs to be updated to be reflective of current prices,” the senator said.

The lawmaker explained that thresholds for customs declaration signify increased documentation and processes for shipments at entry points in the country.

“Increased documentation leads to larger turnover and delivery time of goods, and larger administration costs that would yield lower revenue impact for both businesses and government,” he added.

 By increasing the de minimis level to a more realistic and relevant figure of P10,000, Aquino saidbalikbayan boxes and other packages of OFWs, entrepreneurs and other individuals will be processed by Customs faster with minimum fees.

“Also, it will enable the Bureau of Customs to focus its efforts in looking out for high-value, high-risk and high-revenue goods for collection and enforcement, thereby making customs processes more efficient,” he added.

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