Saturday, 09 January 2010 00:00 [ manilatimes.net ]
BY LAILANY P. GOMEZ REPORTER
The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) said on Friday that it has transferred hundreds of personnel in key positions in an effort to boost revenue collections this year.
In a statement, BIR Commissioner Joel Tan-Torres said the agency has already reshuffled 283 personnel in key positions since it started its revamp last month.
“This reshuffle is crucial to the present thrust of the bureau of meeting its collection goal for this year. We have to obtain maximum operational efficiency of field officials starting this year in all Revenue Offices to effect the implementation of high-visibility public awareness programs on taxpayers service and enforcement campaigns of the bureau,” he said.
Last year, President Gloria Arroyo directed the Department of Finance to strictly implement the Lateral Attrition Law that sought to penalize tax collectors who failed to deliver promised revenues.
This law provides a system of rewards and punishment for personnel of the Bureau of Internal Revenue and of the Bureau of Customs to encourage them to hit targets. Those who fall short of their goal by at least 7.5 percent would be dismissed from service, while those who exceed the same would be given incentives, including cash.
The two revenue collection agencies—which contribute at least 80 percent to national coffers—often missed their monthly collection targets last year.
But the Tax agency said it was able to overshoot its December collection target of P60.03 billion after collecting P61.55 billion with the help of tax collection enhancement measures.
“The BIR will continue to evaluate the performance of all revenue officers based on certain key performance indicators and conduct periodic transfers of personnel to ensure that the over-achievers are rewarded and the non-performers placed in less responsible assignment,” Tan-Torres pointed out.
Besides reorganization, the Tax agency also said it would conduct a written comprehensive examination for all revenue officers, intelligence officers and special investigators who belong to the assessment group in a bid to improve their performance. Tan-Torres said the examination would also support the agency’s professionalization and career development program.
The exam, which will be held on January 24 should serve as a means through which the Tax agency could improve its training and skills enhancement programs and determine the most effective assignments for its personnel, the commissioner said.
The BIR said the government economic managers are set to lower the agency’s 2010 revenue goal to accommodate the effects of the tax-eroding measures and recent calamities on tax intake.
The commissioner said the Development Budget Coordination Committee is now finalizing the revision of the tax agency’s collection target from P875.1 billion to P830 billion.
Originally, the tax agency sought to lower its goal to only P800 billion.
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