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Thursday, June 21, 2007
Arroyo names new tax office chief
MANILA -- Revenue Deputy Commissioner for Operations Lilia Hefti has been appointed officer-in-charge of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) vice Commissioner Jose Mario Buñag who was asked to resign from his post.
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo announced Hefti’s appointment during a luncheon meeting with several chief executives and editors-in-chief of different media groups in Malacañang Wednesday.
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Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said Hefti, a graduate of the San Beda College of Law who took on several positions in the BIR prior to her current position, would only assume the post once Buñag officially steps down.
Ermita said Hefti's appointment is temporary, although the President has not yet received any shortlist from the finance department for Buñag’s permanent replacement.
Malacañang is confident there would be no disruption of service in the BIR as "the career (officers) in the agency would tend to perform well."
Ermita said an ambassadorial post is being offered to Buñag but he has yet to accept or reject it. He declined to name which country Buñag would be sent to but reports said it could either be Norway or Jordan.
Asked if Buñag was replaced because of the shortfall in revenue collections in the first few months of the year, Ermita said: "He (Buñag) was asked to resign. You might say that, but this is part of the instruction of the President to cause the submission of resignation by government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs) and government finance institutions (GFIs)."
Buñag, in a statement, declined the ambassadorial post being offered to him, preferring to "take a long deserved rest and explore other options."
He thanked President Arroyo for the chance work in government saying he and the rest of the BIR members had tried their best to meet the expectations of the administration including the revenue target, which they managed to do in 2006.
He, however, is disappointed that they are now being blamed for the shortfall in revenue collection for the first quarter of the year.
"The task of tax collection is very difficult and intricate, dependent upon variables in economic development and growth as well as the accuracy of the estimated collection goal," Buñag said.
He said there are higher government financial authorities who would like to wash their hands off the dire consequences of their unrealistic, failed, and bungled policies and look for a sacrificial lamb and a scapegoat upon whom they can assign the blame.
“So be it. Their time to answer for their failure and incompetence will also eventually come,” he added.
He said he would just pray that his replacement would succeed for the well-being and success of the entire BIR.
Ermita denied there is a rift between Buñag and Finance Secretary Margarito Teves, particularly after the P1.8-billion shortfall in the May revenue collections.
He said it is normal for Teves, as the Cabinet secretary supervising the BIR, to ensure that targets that they have set up would be met.
"Just because the finance secretary says there has not been achievement of such a target doesn't mean that there is an open rift. It depends really on the management technique of a primary secretary and it depends on how these things are being addressed on the level of the secretary as well as the supervised agencies such as the BIR," he said.
He added that government remains confident that it would be able to meet its fiscal targets, including the balancing of the budget by 2008. He said this is possible with the help of remittances from Overseas Filipino Workers, the continued entry of foreign investments in the country, and the sustaining of the good performance of the stock market and the strong peso.
Ermita denied that after Buñag's exit, they are now eyeing changes in the Bureau of Customs. He said this has not been discussed yet.
But he said about 19 executives from 117 GOCCs and GFIs have already submitted their courtesy resignations.
He hoped to get all courtesy resignations by Friday but they are giving all the appointees in the GOCCS and GFIs until the end of June.
He said among those who responded include executives from the Home Development Mutual Fund, Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board, Philippine Reclamation Authority, National Power Corporation, and Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corporation.
Ermita said a memorandum clearing whether the courtesy resignation also covers agencies that are under the Office of the President (OP) would also come out soon. He said it is now up for the President's signing. (JMR/Sunnex)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Iloilo. (June 21, 2007 issue)
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