Nepomuceno assumes BoC post

THE NEWLY appointed Bureau of Customs (BoC) Commissioner Ariel F. Nepomuceno has started his campaign to achieve the 1.06-trillion collection goal and combat smuggling.

In a statement on Wednesday, the BoC said Mr. Nepomuceno formally assumed office on July 1, a day before the Malacañang announced the Customs shakeup.

“Commissioner Nepomuceno reaffirmed his full commitment to President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.’s directives, focusing on the agency’s core mandates: boosting revenue collection, facilitating legitimate trade, combating smuggling, and fostering a professional and integrity-driven workforce,” the BoC said.

Mr. Nepomuceno served as the Deputy Commissioner of the Enforcement Group from 2013 to 2017 and as Assistant Commissioner from 2017 to 2018.

He was also the executive director of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.

Along with outgoing Commissioner Bienvenido Y. Rubio, a total of six Customs officials were relieved from their positions such as collectors, deputy commissioners, and directors.

Finance Assistant Secretary Karlo Fermin S. Adriano last week said the revenue of BoC will be downgraded amid lower tariff on rice and lower expected import growth in 2025 and the following years.

“The BC collection is dependent on imports, and we have a slower global economy and declining international trade,” he said.

In the first five months, Customs revenue collection was up 0.22% to P381.7 billion, the Bureau of the Treasury said. — Aubrey Rose A. Inosante