Skip to content

Philippines Today

home of the Global Filipino

Menu
  • News Stories
  • Regional News
  • Business & Economy
  • Science & Technology
  • International
Menu

Customs, BIR revamp looms

Posted on May 17, 2007

PHILIPPINE NEWS SERVICE — President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has overturned a plan of the Bureau of Internal Revenue and the Bureau of Customs to defer the implementation of the lateral attrition law, which prescribes a system of rewards and penalties for tax officials and personnel to boost revenue collection.

This means the revamp of the two revenue-earning bureaus will forge ahead soon.

Customs collectors and tax examiners have appealed to Malacañang and finance authorities to suspend the enforcement of the novel scheme until next year to enable them to prepare for it.

Cabinet Secretary Ricardo Saludo said the President has taken a firm position that there should be no delay in implementing the lateral attrition law.

“The Department of Finance, the Bureau of Internal Revenue and the Bureau of Customs shall implement the rewards and sanctions under the attrition law and based on performance targets for the 2006 fiscal year,” Saludo said.

“Hitting our revenue targets is crucial to maintaining fiscal discipline, boosting investor confidence and funding needed public investments and services.”

The full implementation of the lateral attrition law was one of the series of directives issued by the President to speed up action on priority projects and concerns.

Saludo said the President has told her Cabinet members that there should be no lull or delay in the government’s action on urgent matters while the nation’s attention is glued on the results of the mid-term elections.

“As the nation awaits the results of the elections, the government is accelerating development services and major undertakings for economic expansion, job creation, price stability and peace and order,” the Palace official said.

Under the lateral attrition law, internal revenue and customs officials can be rewarded with cash incentives and promotion to higher posts if they exceed or meet collection targets.

On the other hand, those whose revenue collection fell short of targets will be sanctioned with demotion or even removal from office.

The go-signal for the imposition of sanctions on faltering revenue and customs officials was tantamount to a marching order for a major shakeup of the BIR and BoC officialdom, observers say.

It was issued by the President following a report of Finance Secretary Margarito Teves that the national government incurred a P55-billion budget deficit in the first quarter of 2007 due to failure of the BIR and BoC to meet their collection targets.

An administration source disclosed that Teves frowns on the proposal of BIR and BoC officials to defer the implementation of the lateral attrition law.

Meanwhile, the President has instructed the Cabinet to review the Investment Priorities Plan.

Saludo said the IPP, once approved, shall help bring in more foreign capital and investments into the country as investors become more and more bullish, specially with the “largely peaceful and smooth conduct of the elections.’’

The President directed the Department of Energy and the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. to ensure the successful sale of the National Transmission Corp. and the Masinloc power plant in Zambales.

Saludo said these “closely-watched” privatization of state assets shall boost business confidence and generate needed investments for future electricity needs of the country.

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • More
  • Tumblr
  • Reddit

Related

News Categories

  • Announcement (34)
  • Business & Economy (1,567)
  • Comment and Opinion (74)
    • Random Thoughts (18)
  • Current Issues (425)
    • Charter Change (1)
    • Election (228)
    • Population (6)
  • International (389)
  • Life In Japan (66)
    • Everything Japan (41)
  • Literary (34)
  • Miscellaneous (610)
  • News Stories (5,312)
  • OFW Corner (297)
  • Others (75)
  • People (408)
  • Press Releases (163)
  • Regional News (3,362)
  • Science and Technology (502)
  • Sports & Entertainment (287)

Latest News

  • BSP keeps policy rates anew December 17, 2015
  • NEDA cuts PHL additional rice import for 2016 by 25% December 17, 2015
  • DA cites serious implications of banning genetically modified products December 17, 2015
  • BBL is not yet dead – Drilon December 17, 2015
  • Comelec recognizes Duterte’s CoC for president December 17, 2015
  • NEDA chief sees 2015 growth at 6% despite typhoons December 17, 2015
  • House of Representatives ratifies bicam report on P3.002-T national budget for 2016 December 17, 2015
  • Cebu-based developer invests PHP430M to build 709 townhouse units in north Cebu town December 17, 2015
  • City gov’t eyes P75-M income from economic enterprise December 17, 2015
  • Baguio City LGU presents traffic plan for holiday season December 17, 2015

Archives

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

Science and Technology

  • DOST-ICTO targets 500,000 web-based workers from countryside by 2016
  • (Feature) STARBOOKS: A ‘makeover’ for librarians
  • Science, research reduce ‘cocolisap’ hotspot areas in PHL
  • Montejo to further improve PAGASA and empower scientists
  • 1st PPP in biomedical research produces knee replacement system fit for Asians

Press Releases

  • Microsoft to buy Nokia’s mobile devices business for 5.44-B euros
  • New World Bank climate change report should spur SEA and world leaders into action: Greenpeace
  • Save the Philippine Seas before it’s too late — Greenpeace
  • Palanca Awards’ last call for entries
  • Philippines joins the global call for Arctic protection

Comment and Opinion

  • Remembering the dead is a celebration of life
  • Killer earthquake unlikely to hit Panay Island in near future – analyst
  • It’s not just more fun to invest in the Philippines, it is also profitable, says President Aquino
  • How does one differentiate a tamaraw from a carabao?
  • Fun is not just about the place, it is also about the people, says DOT chief

OFW Corner

  • Ebola infection risk low in Croatia
  • Death toll rises to 41, over 100 still missing in landslide in India
  • Asbestos use in construction a labor hazard
  • 500,000 OFWs to benefit POEA on-line transactions — Baldoz
  • 25 distressed OFWs return home from Riyadh
©2025 Philippines Today | Design: Newspaperly WordPress Theme