Customs – Cebu exceeded target collection a month early

CEBU, Philippines -  Duties and taxes paid by companies operating power plants in Cebu, as well as those of coal importation, are cited as among the reasons why the Bureau of Customs (BOC) here has reached – even exceeded – its target collection of  P8.6 billion as early as November.

BOC-Cebu Cash Division chief Rady Abarrientos said they have collected at least P9 billion by the end of November.

“Ongoing man ang construction sa mga power plants diri and they import heavy equipment ug mga machines. Nakatabang gyud og daku sa atong collection ang ilang gibayad nga taxes and duties (The construction of power plants here is ongoing and they import heavy equipment and machines. Their payment for duties and taxes really helped augment our collection),” Abarrientos said.

According to the website of the Department of Energy (DOE), the four private firms currently undergoing construction of their power plants are the Therma Visayas Inc. and Toledo Power Company in Toledo City;  FDC Utilities, Inc. in Danao City;  and Asian Energy System Corporation in Consolacion.

The four power plants have a total rated capacity of 405.6 megawatt.

Abbarientos said they expected to collect P9.5 billion at the end of the year.

To recall, BOC-Cebu also earned more than P850 million after it bidded out successfully more than 600,000 bags of seized smuggled rice. The rice were loaded in 1,169 20-footer container vans, which were declared as having contained wooden and stone slabs. The shipment earned the reputation of being the “mother of all smuggled rice.”

BOC-Cebu earlier donated another 5,500 bags of seized smuggled rice from Vietnam amounting to P7 million and three tons of seized used clothing from Singapore to the Department of   Social Welfare and Development-7 intended for typhoon victims in the Visayas.  (FREEMAN)