MANILA, Philippines - A revamp of top executives and district collectors at the Bureau of Customs (BOC) is expected to take effect in the first quarter of next year, commissioner Ruffy Biazon said yesterday.
He said Customs personnel who would be affected by the revamp should not see the move as a “punishment” but should instead view it as a challenge.
A collector’s ability to meet targets assigned to him or her will be part of the criteria or basis for the revamp, Biazon noted.
“In the first quarter of 2012, we will have our rigodon. The (targets) will be a consideration on how we will go about with the rigodon,” he said.
Other factors include work attitude and ability to abide by the directives from the Office of the Commissioner, Biazon said.
He said some district collectors may be more effective in other areas other than their current assignments.
Last October, the BOC chief issued a memorandum that officially started the streamlining process of the bureau’s personnel organization.
With the memorandum, the bureau will eliminate redundancies and, most importantly, rid the bureau of non-organic personnel.
Biazon said there are so many non-organic personnel who have been performing the functions supposedly assigned only to BOC organic personnel.
A personnel count will be undertaken including those hired under contractual arrangements. The current assignments of BOC personnel will also be reviewed, especially those detailed to units other than their mother units.
He said the agency has to establish the responsibilities and accountabilities of all BOC personnel. He also said that some smugglers tend to exploit some employees of the bureau.
During his inaugural speech upon assumption as the new BOC chief last September, Biazon said that to succeed in the campaign against smuggling and to meet the government’s revenue targets, reforms must be introduced in the BOC system.
The government’s second largest revenue collection agency is tasked to collect P320 billion this year but the target has been lowered to P276 billion given the uncertainties in the global economic environment that are seen to slow economic growth. - By Iris C. Gonzales
