MANILA, Philippines — The enhanced law versus agriculture smuggling may boost government’s revenue collection, according to the Department of Finance (DOF).
In a statement, Finance Secretary Ralph Recto said the DOF and the Bureau of Customs (BOC) are ready to fully implement the recently enacted Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act aimed at ending rampant smuggling, cartels, profiteering and hoarding of agricultural products.
The law effectively expanded the coverage of illegal activities classified as acts of economic sabotage involving agricultural products not previously covered under the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act of 2016.
Under the law, the term agricultural products shall now cover livestock, aquatic products and tobacco.
“The new law gives more teeth to the government to relentlessly run after smugglers whose illegal activities undermine our farmers, fisherfolk and consumers,” Recto said.
“Through a stronger and stricter crackdown on these offenders, we protect our people’s access to affordable goods and boost our revenue collections, which will allow the government to provide more essential public services,” he said.
With the new law, perpetrators now face a penalty of life imprisonment and a fine of five times the value of agricultural and fishery products subject to the crime.
Further, it also empowers the BOC to conduct and implement the letter of authority to take action against corporations or entities involved in acts of economic sabotage.
It also equips the BOC with clear parameters to identify and penalize unlawful practices.
As such, the BOC has implemented multiple strategies to bolster its efforts against agricultural smuggling.
This includes enhanced intelligence coordination, integration of technology for better border control and stringent enforcement and legal measures.
From January 2023 to August 2024, the BOC conducted 1,803 agricultural smuggling seizure operations with an estimated value of P3.7 billion.