Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Tuesday, December 20 urged the Bureau of Customs (BOC) ramp up its modernization program by achieving full digitalization and investing in new technology to arrest the rampant smuggling happening at the country’s ports.

Gatchalian, chairman of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means, reiterated a full modernization program will help the BOC rid the agency of corruption and further improve its revenue collection.

“The BOC should work earnestly to complete its digitalization program, modernize the facilities, and invest in newer technologies, including the purchase of appropriate x-ray machines, and should vigorously pursue an investigation of corrupt employees,” said Gatchalian.

“I earnestly hope for the completion of the agency’s modernization program as soon as possible as this will lead to full automation of its operations which will significantly reduce leakages and improve revenue collection,” he reiterated.

The senator stressed that full automation of the BOC’s processes will reduce personal engagement with Customs officers and employees, thus, providing protection against integrity concerns.

“Alam natin na ang katiwalian sa anumang ahensya ng gobyerno ay nagdudulot ng malaking dagok sa tiwala ng taong bayan at pinsala sa kaban ng bayan (We know that corruption in any government agency causes a big blow to the trust of the people and damage to the public treasury),” the lawmaker pointed out.

“Dapat maimbestigahan nang husto ang mga tiwaling kawani sa mga ahensiya’t kagawaran (Corrupt staff in agencies and departments should be thoroughly investigated),” he added.

Gatchalian earlier led the Senate ways and means panel’s ocular inspection and a walkthrough of the agency’s modernization program in its main office in Port Area, Manila.

The activity, he said, was aimed to find out whether BOC’s higher collection this year was due to efficiency as a result of the modernization program or due to higher import prices and exchange rate factor or both.

He noted that the BOC’s revenue collection for 2022 has already reached P817-billion, which is 20 percent higher against the full-year target of P675-billion.

However, Gatchalian surmised that the agency may have exceeded its target primarily due to higher fuel prices amid the ongoing armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine and the prevailing weakness of the peso against the dollar.

The senator has asked the BOC to provide the Senate data of its revenue collection at constant prices and prevailign peso-dollar rate prior to the onset of the Russia-Ukraine conflict to check whether its remarkable performance was due to improved efficiency or if it was mainly an offshoot of higher fuel prices and foreign exchange rate.

“Our fervent hope is that the modernization program will sustain higher revenue collection for the BOC moving forward,” he said.