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Tuesday, September 14, 2004
Gov’t loses P780B yearly to smuggling: customs
MANILA -- Illegal smuggling in the country costs government a whooping P780 billion yearly, customs officials said during a hearing Monday at the Senate.
Following this revelation, senators urged President Arroyo to reconstitute the National Anti-Smuggling Task Force (NASTF), which used to be headed by Interior Secretary Angelo Reyes.
Senators Max Roxas and Juan Ponce Enrile said there is no need to pass the new tax measures if only government can solve the problem of smuggling and inefficient tax collection.
"Kung masugpo ang (If we can stop) smuggling, hindi na kailangan ang mga bagong buwis (we do not need new taxes). I think it is not the system, it's the people of the collecting agency that should be reformed, para madagdagan ang kita ng pamahalaan (for government to earn more money)," Enrile said in an interview.
Sen. Alfredo Lim, for his part, challenged the Bureau of Customs (BOC) to identify the top 10 smugglers in the country. But the BOC refused to do so and instead asked the Senate to hold an executive session on the matter.
Lim castigated the BOC and accused its officials of covering up for smugglers and acting as their protectors.
"The big-time smugglers cannot operate without the protectors from the BOC. Why are you protecting these smugglers? Why do you have to give them protection?" Lim said.
Lim nonetheless identified a Chinese-Filipino businessman as the number one smuggler in the country. He asked the BOC to continue looking into the activities or operations of the businessman.
The BOC did not confirm the accusations made by Lim instead but its officials said they would provide the senators with the names of the smugglers after collating enough evidence.
Secretary Reyes, meanwhile, revealed that about 99.5 percent of the confiscated 2,577 container vans that had smuggled items inside are missing. The owners of the vans were not charged in court, Reyes added.
The BOC, which has taken over the job and responsibilities of the NASTF, vowed to continue monitoring the location of the confiscated vans to determine its owners so that proper cases would be filed.
"I am confident that the Senate will support the custom's move against smuggling," Customs Commissioner George Jereos said.
In a resolution, Roxas and Sen. Ramon Magsaysay Jr. urged President Arroyo to reconstitute the anti-smuggling task force until such time that the smuggling problem in the country was addressed.
The business sector has appealed for the revival of the task force, citing its effectiveness in minimizing illegal smuggling activities in the country.
"We are equally impressed with the achievements of the task force and accordingly recommend to the President in the committee level the reconstitution of NASTF until such time it is clearly evident the BOC can take on the activities once performed by the task force," Roxas said.
Reyes reported that in the span of six months since the task force was created last March, at least 60 smuggling activities have been neutralized.
Roxas said that they would leave it to the President as to who will head the task force.
Jereos, on the other hand, admitted the BOC is still weak in combating the problem of illegal smuggling due to lack of manpower.
Jereos supported appeals by senators and businessmen for President Arroyo to reconstitute the task force. (JPM)
(September 14, 2004 issue)
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