Tulfo chides BIR for harassing low-income earners, urges BOC to address oil smuggling for addt'l state revenue

Senator Idol Raffy Tulfo questioned the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) for persistently targeting low-income earners and small-time business owners instead of big-time tax evaders, like oil smugglers, to generate public revenues.

During the Senate Finance Sub-committee A budget hearing today Oct. 3, Tulfo said he is irked because BIR has a record of targeting Filipino citizens whose jobs are in the lower tiers of the supply chain every time they miss their collection target.

He said these low-income earners include, among others, pedicab and tricycle drivers, market vendors, and sari-sari store owners.

"Tuwing gusto niyo po makakolekta ng karagdagang buwis, dahil kayo po ay nagkaroon ng shortfall dahil hindi niyo naabot ang target niyo, ang pinagiinitan ninyo palagi ay 'yung mga maliliit nating kababayan," he said.

Tulfo recalled that as early as 2010, the BIR proposed to require pedicab and tricycle drivers, market vendors and sari-sari store owners to issue receipts for products or services sold for more than 25 pesos.

He noted that in 2017, BIR has instructed the 123 revenue district officers nationwide to start listing down "sari-sari" or variety stores and other small-scale businesses for tax collection purposes. He also recalled BIR's public warning to vloggers to pay their taxes in 2021.

If BIR seriously aims to collect big revenue through taxation, he maintained that the bureau should focus its attention instead to oil smugglers which would help the government generate billions of pesos more in state revenues.

The Senator from Isabela and Davao stressed that BIR cannot hide under the figure released by the Department of Finance (DOF) that the taxes collected from marked fuel products by customs duties amounted to more than 400-B pesos.

If anything, Tulfo said the Bureau of Customs (BOC) should first show records proving that all the marked fuel products of the BOC matches data from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, which he said has global data showing all companies exporting oil in the country.

Failure of these records to match would signify that oil smuggling is rampant in the country despite government's 1.9-B pesos yearly contract with Switzerland-based inspection services provider Societe Generale de Surveillance (SGS), which ensures that marker is added to the fuel accurately.

As such, Tulfo asked BOC to provide records of the supposed 1,700 gasoline stations physically inspected by the SGS every month in the previous years, to ensure accuracy.

Of the said 1,700 gas stations, Tulfo said BOC should provide data showing whether or not gas stations passed in fuel marking, stating, "I wouldn't believe you kapag sinabi ninyo na lahat, 100%, ay pumasa sa inspection."

In relation to this, Tulfo urged BOC to show what sanctions were imposed against the gasoline stations who failed the inspection because of non-compliance, and how many of them were ordered to stop operations.

Customs Commissioner Yogi Filemon Ruiz failed to provide all documents asked by Tulfo because the supposed official responsible to supervise fuel markings was not present.

Tulfo asserted that the government should not renew its contract with SGS, which is set to expire next year, as he cited the terms of reference that SGS is required to transfer the technology and its formula to the Philippines after the end of a five-year contract.

"Ako po, bilang Chairperson ng Energy Committee, haharangin ko po ang renewal ng SGS. Because I see na useless po ito. Yung sinasabi niyo po tumaas ang koleksyon ng tax to P450-B, eh tumaas po yung presyo ng langis e, natural pag taas ng presyo ng langis, tataas yung koleksyon. hindi po ba?" he said.

He maintained that SGS should follow the terms of reference which would help Philippines save billions of pesos annually.

Tulfo sa BIR: Itigil na ang pangha-harass sa pedicab drivers, sari-sari store owners

Kinuwestiyon muli ni Senator Idol Raffy Tulfo ang Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) dahil sa pangha-harass umano nito sa mga pedicab drivers, sari-saristore owners at iba pang maliliit na negosyante upang makakolekta ng pondo.

Sa pagdinig ng Senate Finance Sub-committee ngayong araw, sinabi ni Tulfo na mayroon ng record ang BIR kung saan pinupuntirya nito ang mga maliliit na manggagawang Pilipino, imbes na mga big-time tax evaders, tuwing nagkukulang ang kanilang koleksyon.

"Tuwing gusto niyo po makakolekta ng karagdagang buwis, dahil kayo po ay nagkaroon ng shortfall dahil hindi niyo naabot ang target niyo, ang pinagiinitan ninyo palagi ay 'yung mga maliliit nating kababayan," he said. Naalala ni Tulfo na noong 2010, ay iminungkahi ng BIR na i-require ang mga pedicab at tricycle drivers, market vendors at sari-sari store owners na mag-isyu ng mga resibo para sa mga produkto o serbisyong ibinebenta ng mahigit 25 pesos.

Binanggit niya din na noong 2017, na inatasan ng BIR ang 123 revenue district officers sa buong bansa na simulan ang paglista ng mga sari-sari stores upang mangolekta ng buwis.

Kung gusto talaga ng BIR na makakolekta ng malaking halaga, binigyang diin ni Tulfo na dapat pagtuunan nito ng pansin ang bigtime oil smugglers.

Iginiit ng mambabatas na hindi maaaring magtago ang BIR sa inilabas na data ng Department of Finance (DOF) na umabot diumano sa mahigit 400-B pesos ang buwis na nakolekta mula sa mga marked fuel products mula sa customs duties.

Hiningi ni Tulfo sa Bureau of Customs (BOC) ang rekord na nagpapatunay na ang lahat ng marked fuel products ng BOC ay tumutugma sa datos mula sa United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, na aniya ay mayroong global data na nagpapakita ng lahat ng kumpanyang nagluluwas ng langis sa ating bansa.

Kung ito ay hindi magtutugma, sinabi ni Tulfo na ito ay patunay na talamak pa din talaga ang smuggling sa bansa kahit na mayroon tayong 1.9B pesos na kontrata sa Societe Generale de Surveillance (SGS).

Humingi din si Tulfo sa BOC ng record na nagpapakita na pisikal na nakapaginspeksyon ang SGS sa 1,700 gasosline stations sa bansa kada buwan nitong mga nakaraang taon.

Sa 1,700, sinabi ni Tulfo na dapat makapagbigay ang BOC ng datos na nagpapakitang pumasa ang isang gas station sa fuel marking. "I wouldn't believe you when you say that all, 100%, passed the inspection," ani Tulfo.

Nabigo si Customs Commissioner Yogi Filemon Ruiz na ibigay ang lahat ng mga dokumentong hiningi ni Tulfo dahil wala ang umano'y opisyal na responsable sa pangangasiwa ng fuel markings.

Iginiit din ni Tulfo na hindi dapat i-renew ng gobyerno ang kontrata nito sa SGS, na nakatakdang mag-expire sa susunod na taon.

"Ako po, bilang Chairperson ng Energy Committee, haharangin ko po ang renewal ng SGS. Because I see na useless po ito. Yung sinasabi niyo po tumaas ang koleksyon ng tax to P450-B, eh tumaas po yung presyo ng langis e, natural pag taas ng presyo ng langis, tataas yung koleksyon. hindi po ba?" saad ni Tulfo.