Aquino: BIR collections for 2015 poised to hit new record high

MANILA (Mabuhay) – The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) is poised to set a new record high in collections this year, President Benigno Aquino III said Monday as he commended the agency for sustaining an uptrend in revenue-gathering.

In a speech commemorating the bureau’s 111^th founding anniversary in Quezon City, Aquino said revenue collections are nearing the P1.5-trillion mark. The collection goal for 2015 is at P1.657 trillion.

“Ngayong taon, ang sabi sa atin, puwedeng malikom o malapit nang malikom ang P1.5 trillion na isa na namang record high kapag nagkataon,” the President said in his speech.

He cited the reform programs undertaken by BIR Commissioner Kim Henares and the campaign to prosecute tax evaders.

“Sa inyong nakitahak sa Daang Matuwid, talagang bilib na bilib ako sa inyo. Ngayon nga po, saan ka man bumaling, makikita ang mga kongkretong patunay ng inyong mga pagsisikap: mga kalsada at tulay na naipagawa at ipinapagawa; mga nakumpletong estrukturang deka-dekadang inabangan; ang mga sitiong napapailawan at nabibigyang-patubig,” Aquino said.

He called the BIR the epitome of “efficient public service.”

Last week, the President also heaped praises on the BIR, the government’s biggest revenue-generating agency, in his sixth and final State of the Nation Address (SONA), praising the bureau for nearly doubling the past administration’s revenue collections and for breaching the P1-trillion mark in 2012.

Last year, the BIR collected P1.335 trillion in revenues, almost twice the P750.29 billion in 2009 before Aquino assumed office in 2010.

Aquino also praised BIR chief Henares for prosecuting tax evaders. “Ginawa rin niyang episyente ang sistema ng pagbabayad ng buwis, at sinigurong malinaw sa lahat ang kanilang tungkuling makiambag sa pag-angat ng bansa,” Aquino said SONA before Congress last Monday.

The BIR missed its P812.09-billion collection target by 13 percent in the first half of 2015.(MNS)