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MANILA - The Bureau of Customs was a quarter short of its collection target in July, when the agency set its highest monthly goal for the entire year.
Data from the bureau showed that the government's second largest revenue contributor raised P23.82 billion last month as against a P31.44 billion target for the period.
Despite the shortfall, Customs' July collection was P2.54 billion better than the P21.28 billion raised last year.
Last month's collection brought the bureau's seven-month revenue tally to P167.25 billion, or 16 percent short of its P198.61 billion target for the period.
Because of the shortfall, Customs Commissioner Rufino Biazon said he has ordered the bureau's district collectors to explain the deterioration.
“This is the first time that I asked them to explain because I saw the downward trend in the collections. We were already down in June, and in July it further dropped. So I’m really concerned,” Biazon said.
The Customs chief said that one district collector from Cebu attributed the weak revenue performance to the 31 percent drop in dutiable imports.
Data from the National Statistics Office showed that imports in the first five months decreased by almost two percent because of lower shipments of electronic goods.
“The target for July is so high to begin with. I know we cannot escape from our target, but we're always saying that the growth from the previous year is also worthy to be noticed,” Biazon said.
For the whole year, the bureau is tasked to collect P347.07 billion, and help plug the government's budget deficit. The full-year deficit is set at P279 billion.
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