GOVERNMENT efforts to run after tax evaders and smugglers are “paying off” after President Benigno S. Aquino III said that revenue collection for the first six months of this year has increased dramatically.
In his speech keynoting the 1st Integrity Summit held at the Grand Ballroom of the Marriot Hotel in Pasay City Wednesday, President Aquino revealed that the government’s campaign against tax evaders and smugglers had helped in putting in much needed revenues into government coffers by as much as 13.47 percent.
“Since we assumed office, we have worked on improving our tax administration efforts and some of the things we have done is run after tax evaders, smugglers and corrupt government officials,” the President told the gathering of local and global corporate leaders, anti-corruption experts, and senior government officials.
He noted that since July 2010 a total of 61 tax evasion cases and 43 smuggling cases have been filed against these groups and individuals “with claims totaling around P26-billion and 54-billion, respectively.”
“As we continue to monitor these cases, I am happy to report that our campaign against tax evaders and smugglers is paying off,” the President said.
“From January to July this year, revenues collected have already increased by 13.47 percent year on year,” he added.
He said that these “taxes that could have gone to social services, infrastruchture, debt reduction or national defense” had the previous administration been more alert to the situation. (PCOO)
