(Eagle News) — The Bureau of Customs posted a P3-billion collection surplus in January amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The bureau said the P47.143 billion it collected last month was P3.051 billion more than the P44.092 billion January 2021 collection target.
That translates to an increase of 6.92 percent.
According to the bureau, based on the preliminary report from the bureau’s Financial Service unit, eleven out of the seventeen collection districts surpassed their January 2021 collection target.
These were the Ports of Manila, NAIA, Batangas, Legazpi, Iloilo, Tacloban, Cagayan De Oro, Zamboanga, Davao, Subic, and Clark.
In 2020, the bureau exceeded its annual revenue collection target by 6.6 percent, collecting P539.7 billion against its P506.2 billion target.
The bureau attributed the surplus to the improved and efficient collection of ports and the improvement in volume of importation.
It also noted the government’s effort in ensuring unhampered movement of goods, while maintaining border security and enhanced trade facilitation.