BIR chief inks pact with reg'l directors

Internal Revenue Commissioner Dakila Fonacier said yesterday all the regional directors, officers and employees of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) have forged an agreement with him to improve collection performance or suffer the consequences.

Fonacier has asked his staff to sign a "Performance Contract" in which signatories have agreed to meet their collection goals or face dismissal or transfer.

A week after he assumed office, Fonacier visited one by one the regional offices of BIR to have the agreement signed by his staff.

The BIR chief said he was able to get the full support of all top officials including four deputy commissioners, 12 assistant commissioners, 19 revenue regional directors, 115 revenue district officers, division chiefs and their assistant and the 11,000 rank and file employes of the bureau to meet the P397-billion tax collection goal set for the year 2000.

The pledge of support from the BIR's rank and file came in the midst of the congressional deliberation on the passage of the Lateral Attrition Act that will provide for optimum performance in revenue collection.

The proposed law entitles the BIR employes to a 10 percent of the excess collection they will get. In turn, if they fail to collect less than expected, they will be either be transferred or removed from the service.

However, Fonacier said there are many operational issues yet to be clarified for purposes of fair and sound implementation of the Act.

Meanwhile, Caloocan City revenue district officer Aguinaldo Miravalles, president of the 115-strong Philippine Association of Revenue District Officers (PARDO), has assured the group's support for the new BIR chief.

In response to the apprehension of the field officers that the enactment of the LAA would expose the grim prospect of losing their jobs in the next few years if they fail to perform well, Miravalles said they support the law as long as all the issues surrounding it will be addressed properly.

"We welcome with fervor the appointment of Commissioner Fonacier. We are one in the organization in expressing our total support to the new tax administration under his stewardship, whose aim now is to improve revenue collection," Miravalles said.

According to Miravalles, they also support Fonacier's effort to enhance tax collection in an atmosphere or partnership and shared responsibility between the BIR and the taxpayers.