BoC eyes full automation of processes by next year

BoC Commissioner John Phillip P. Sevilla said in an interview at the sidelines of a viewing last week that the planned IT program will do away with manual submissions of import entry documents to the BoC.

At present, the BoC has an import entry electronic system where importers fill-out information related to their shipments. However, supporting documents are still submitted to the BoC manually.

Importers, at present, also need to meet their respective assessors face-to-face.

“Under the new system, all the documents that Customs requires them to submit can be scanned, uploaded and lodged into the system. You don’t need to go to our office,” Mr. Sevilla said.

“That’s the main change that importers will feel,” he added.

The IT system, he said, also covers warehouse importers where all processes are done manually.

“That will become fully electronic,” Mr. Sevilla said.

The BoC accounts for a fifth of the government’s total revenues. The agency has missed its collection target for a 19th straight month despite growing double digits in August.

BoC data showed collections in August settled at P29.06 billion, up 11% from the P26.08 billion recorded in the same month last year.

The month’s haul, however, still fell below the P34.56-billion target by 13%.

This brought the year-to-date tally to P232.92 billion, up 17% from the same period last year.

For this year, the agency is mandated to collect P408 billion. With the latest tally, the bureau still needs to collect P175.08 billion to meet its target.

Last year, it shored up P304.48 billion, 5.04% more than 2012’s P289.867 billion but still short of a P340-billion target.

Source: http://www.bworldonline.com/content.php?section=Economy&title=boc-eyes-full-automation-of-processes-by-next-year&id=95479