Finance Secretary Ralph G. Recto met with the newly appointed Bureau of Customs (BOC) Commissioner Ariel F. Nepomuceno on Monday to discuss the new leadership’s strategic plans aimed at significantly increasing collection efficiency and modernizing customs operations.
Commissioner Nepomuceno outlined his commitment to implementing the BOC’s ambitious 5-Point Priority Program for 2025. This comprehensive program focuses on critical areas, including the full digitalization of customs processes, surpassing established collection targets, simplifying procedures to facilitate secure trade, intensifying efforts to curb all forms of smuggling, and promoting robust employee development within the Bureau.
The meeting also served as a platform to address pressing concerns raised by various stakeholders, ensuring that the BOC’s initiatives are responsive to the needs of the trading community and the public.
Secretary Recto underscored the vital role of the BOC in national development, noting that approximately 20% of government spending is derived from customs collections. He urged the new leadership to fast-track the implementation of these crucial customs initiatives to ensure the agency consistently meets and exceeds its revenue targets, thereby supporting the government’s fiscal programs.
Also present at the meeting were Department of Finance (DOF) Chief of Staff and Undersecretary Maria Luwalhati Dorotan Tiuseco, Revenue Operations Group Undersecretary Charlito Martin Mendoza, Assistant Secretary Dakila Elteen Napao, along with senior officers and collectors from the Bureau of Customs.
