CITY OF SAN FERNANDO - The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) regional office has achieved its September to October collection target of P900 million, stressing the effective local programs on tax collection, incentives and continuous programs against tax delinquents have improved tax collection.

BIR Regional Director Romulo Aguila told Sun.Star Pampanga that they have been able to reduce their cumulative collection windfall for this year to 2.14 percent from the previous windfall of 14.59 percent in shortage of collection.

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Aguila said when he assumed office last April, the BIR had a shortfall of P400 million in collection. The BIR, Aguila said, had reduced the shortfall to P100 million because of improved collection.

"We are now able to compensate for the shortfall and we expect to further improve collection with the strengthening of our collection programs that are now in place," he said.

Aguila attributed their successful September to October performance to the support and cooperation of taxpayers, particularly businessmen, who responded to their programs like Oplan Kandado, monitoring of cash register machine or point of sales (POS) and tax mapping among others.

The BIR reported that the Oplan Kandado, which seeks tax delinquents, have been able to close some 20 establishments in the region and collect some 20 million in tax delinquency collection.

"Our tax mapping has also been effective because it enabled BIR personnel to visit different barangays to register businesses," Aguila said. He also attributed the continuous audit of taxpayers, to determine if they had declared the "actual or nearly actual" amount of goods they are selling, for the increased collection.

For October, the BIR expects the revenue collection to be affected by the recent typhoons that hit Central Luzon. However, Aguila said that they hope the effect would not be too great to enable the BIR to compensate on the possible shortfall in collection. (Ian Ocampo Flora)