Monday, June 04, 2007 BOC awaits end of election period to do revamp
A NATIONWIDE revamp of district collectors and deputy district collectors will be enforced by Bureau of Customs Commissioner Napoleon Morales once the election ban on the transfer of personnel ends on June 14.
Morales told Sun.Star Cebu that the impending reshuffling of officials is aimed at preventing camaraderie among port stakeholders, especially with this year’s implementation of the Attrition Law that rewards achievers but punishes sluggish performers.
“We don’t want camaraderie among stakeholders, importers, brokers and collectors included because this will lead to an unholy alliance at the ports,” he said.
Meanwhile, Morales, who was in Cebu recently to open two container vans full of smuggled used luxury vehicles worth P2 million, said he is determined to meet the P700 billion nationwide target for 2007.
For the Port of Cebu alone, the target is P5.2 billion.
Morales said camaraderie of port stakeholders is detrimental to government interest because duties and taxes may not be computed correctly in the name of friendship.
Tecnical smuggling
The customs commissioner even purchased five X-ray machines for containerized cargoes to eradicate misdeclaration of goods, which is tantamount to technical smuggling.
Since last March, some deputy collectors have been elevated to acting district collectors after some district collectors, among them Felipe Bartolome, Roberto Sacramento and Andy Salvacion, ran for Congress in the May 14 elections.
Only Salvacion won in the third district of Leyte. The other two cannot apply for a government position for at least one year.
Old position
After that, they can apply for their old position, but it’s up to Malacañang whether to accept them.
Meanwhile, Morales refused to divulge the areas where district collectors will be reassigned.
“Just wait until the election period is over and I will furnish you the customs personnel order,” Morales said.
Morales issued a revamp order last January, a few weeks before the election period. But Finance Secretary Margarito Teves did not approve it to avoid public perception that the revamp was intended for fund-raising for administration candidates. (EOB)
