New BIR chief hopeful to lower tax collection shortfall in Eastern Visayas

By RODRIGO S. VICTORIA, PIA 8
October 7, 2011

TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte  –  The new chief of the regional office of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) expressed his optimism that the shortfall in tax collection target in Eastern Visayas will be lowered down to just single digit at the end of the year.

Atty. Diosdado R. Mendoza who just assumed office as regional director of BIR-8 (Revenue Region No. 14)  in September this year, made the promising statement in a press conference with members of local media held at the BIR office on October 7.

Based on the collection performance as against collection goal of BIR-8 from January to August this year, BIR-8 posted a tax collection of P2,529,168,000 as against collection goal for the same period at P2,883,292,000. The collection for the period is short of P354,124,000 which translates to a shortfall of -12.28%.

However, the collection for the same period in 2010 is much higher as BIR-8 was able to collect P2,581,135,000 or an increase of P51,967,000 or 2.01%.

Mendoza revealed that BIR-8 composed of six revenue district offices was able to collect this September 2011 an amount of P322,365,000 which exceeds by P33,697,000 as its goal is only pegged at P294,668,000 or higher by 11.44% of the goal for the month.

The September 2011 tax collection of BIR-8 is 16.90% higher than the tax collection for September 2010 as it posted a tax collection of P280,887,000 or a difference of P47,477,000, Mendoza informed.

Mendoza remained optimistic of lowering the collection shortfall as against collection goal for the year pegged at P4.3B with the start of several big infrastructure projects later this year which will increase the collection of income tax due to collection of Tax Remittance Advices (TRAs) and creditable expanded withholding tax coming from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and local government units here in the region.

He mentioned the construction of the provincial convention center of Leyte province which costs P100M, the expansion project of the Leyte Metropolitan Water District (LMWD) which costs P400M and other government infrastructure projects that will be undertaken later this year in the region.

It was learned from Arsenia C. Gente, chief, collection division of BIR-8 that BIR-8 has already reached 67% of its collection goal for the year.