Gatchalian urges Bureau of Customs to tighten noose on smuggling of tobacco products
July 31, 2024
Gatchalian urges Bureau of Customs to tighten noose on smuggling of tobacco products
Senator Win Gatchalian urged the Bureau of Customs (BOC) to tighten the noose on smuggling of tobacco products to reduce revenue leakage in the country.
The chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means, Gatchalian made the statement following the recent confiscation by law enforcement agencies of over PHP5.5 billion worth of smuggled cigarettes in Iloilo City. The smuggled cigarettes, believed to have originated from Malaysia include brands like Mighty, Camel, Marvel, and Cannon Menthol.
"The government needs to tackle illegal trade of cigarettes and other tobacco products as this weakens the government's revenue collection goal and undermines the profitability of those who are legitimately doing business," Gatchalian said.
The senator further urged police authorities to get to the bottom of the case considering the volume of smuggled cigarettes involved and to investigate the involvement of a foreign national without proper documentation in perpetrating an illegal activity of such a scale.
Gatchalian earlier filed proposed Senate Resolution No. 566, which seeks to investigate the rising incidence of illegal trade involving excisable products, particularly tobacco, alcohol, and fuel products. The resolution aims to assess the scale of illicit trade in the country and adjust, if necessary, enforcement agencies' priorities and border restrictions.
As much as 42.8% of total cigarette consumption in the country comes from illicitly traded tobacco products, according to Gatchalian. In addition, potential tax losses from the illicit trade of tobacco products alone amounted to USD213.4 million in 2019, and the government loses around PHP1.4 billion in revenue due to smuggled vaping products.
"We must not allow our nation to be a playground for criminal activities particularly by foreign nationals who take advantage or abuse existing laws," he added.
Gatchalian hinikayat ang Bureau of Customs na higpitan ang kampanya kontra smuggling ng tobacco products
Hinimok ni Senador Win Gatchalian ang Bureau of Customs (BOC) na higpitan ang mga patakaran upang mabawasan ang pagtagas ng kita ng bansa.
Ang pahayag ng Senate Committee on Ways and Means chairman ay kasunod ng pagkakakumpiska kamakailan ng mga law enforcement agencies ng mahigit PHP5.5 bilyong halaga ng smuggled na sigarilyo sa Iloilo City. Ang mga smuggled na sigarilyo, na pinaniniwalaang nagmula sa Malaysia, ay may mga tatak na tulad ng Mighty, Camel, Marvel, at Cannon Menthol.
"Kailangan ng gobyerno na solusyunan ang ilegal na kalakalan ng sigarilyo at iba pang tobacco products dahil apektado nito ang revenue collection ng bansa at pinapahina ang kakayahan ng mga lehitimong negosyante na kumita," sabi ni Gatchalian.
Hinimok din ng senador ang mga alagad ng batas na imbestigahan nang maigi ang naturang kaso ng smuggling lalo na sa dami ng mga kontrabandong nakumpiska. Dagdag niya, parang napakadaling gumawa ng ganitong kalaking krimen ang isang foreign national sa bansa na hindi naman dokumentado.
Nauna nang naghain si Gatchalian ng Senate Resolution No. 566, na naglalayong imbestigahan ang tumataas na insidente ng ilegal na kalakalan na kinasasangkutan ng excisable products, partikular na ang sigarilyo, alak, at mga produktong petrolyo. Ang resolusyon ay naglalayong suriin kung gaano kalaki ang ipinagbabawal na kalakalan o illicit trade sa bansa at ayusin ang mga prayoridad ng enforcement agencies at border restrictions.
Aabot sa 42.8% ng kabuuang konsumo ng sigarilyo sa bansa ay mula sa smuggled na tobacco products, ayon kay Gatchalian. Ang tinatayang pagkalugi sa buwis nito ay umabot sa USD213.4 milyon noong 2019. Ang gobyerno ay nawawalan ng humigit-kumulang PHP1.4 bilyon sa kita dahil sa mga smuggled na vaping products.
"Hindi natin dapat pahintulutan ang ating bansa na maging pugad ng mga kriminal na aktibidad lalo na ng mga dayuhang nakikinabang o umaabuso sa mga umiiral na batas," pagtatapos niya.
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