BOC surpasses collection target in January 2024

The Bureau of Customs on Saturday said it has surpassed its collection target in January this year by accumulating P106 billion for the period.

“For this year, since we just started, for January we collected P106 billion – that is still ahead of the target so we’re on the right track,” BOC Deputy Commissioner Michael Fermin told reporters in a news forum in Quezon City.

Fermin said the BOC has been “efficiently” collecting revenues higher than the targets set, by the Development Budget Coordination Committee, for the government’s macroeconomic assumptions.

In 2023, BOC was able to collect P883.62 billion—exceeding the P874 billion target collection. Fermin touted the surplus of about P9.45 billion.

He said the BOC continues to implement border control and protection, and trade facilitation. There are also ongoing filing of cases against erring individuals and companies, he added.

The bureau was able to conduct about 980 successful seizure operations—recording the highest number of captured items, with a total monetary value of P43.3 billion.

He said more than half of the seized items were counterfeit goods such as bags, and shoes among others. It was followed by P7 billion worth of illegal drugs as well as smuggled agricultural products and other general merchandise.

Fermin reported that in 2023 alone, the BOC filed at least 90 criminal cases before the Department of Justice—60 of which are related to agricultural smuggling.

“This year, we have filed another 13 cases in Department of Justice,” he said.