Thursday, December 25, 2008 Customs to accept payments on holidays
THE Bureau of Customs (BOC) will be accepting payments on the holidays through its accredited bank in Manila.
Customs Commissioner Napoleon Morales said the Landbank of the Philippines (LBP) has agreed to his request to open several branches near the three major ports - the port of Manila, Manila International Container Port (MICP), and Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) - to accommodate payments from importers who will transact with the bureau during the holidays.
The bank will accept payments on December 26, 29 and 31, the special non-working holidays declared by Malacañang.
According to Morales, at least two examiners and one appraiser will be assigned for every section in the major ports during those days at the discretion of the port collectors.
"All payments that will come in during the non-working days will still be credited to the bureau's collections for the year," he said.
Earlier, the official expressed confidence that they will be meeting their P254 billion target for 2008 before the holidays.
"If all goes well, we will be applying for a new set of rewards under the Lateral Attrition Law (LAL)," Morales explained.
Customs officials and employees received early this year a hefty bonus for exceeding their target for the year 2006 by P2.2 billion. The LAL provides a system of rewards and punishment for government frontlines in revenue generating agencies as a mode to gauge their performances.
Failure to meet the target beyond a 7.5 percent prescribed threshold would mean demotion or dismissal for an official, while positive performance would be rewarded through cash and non-cash incentives. (FP/Sunnex)
