DIGITAL payment for the miscellaneous fees charged by the Bureau of Customs (BOC) will soon be possible through the online portal of the Landbank of the Philippines (LandBank).
In a statement, the BOC said it signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with LandBank for the use of the latter’s Link.BizPortal which will facilitate the digital payment of the bureau’s miscellaneous fees.
“Through Landbank’s Link.BizPortal, we are not only facilitating smoother transactions but also fostering greater transparency and accountability,” Commissioner Bienvenido Y. Rubio was quoted in the statement as saying.
The portal can accommodate small and large-value payments and allows real-time debit from the payor’s account and batch credit to the merchant’s account. It can also generate and issue online payment confirmations via email and other functions that will improve the transaction experience of stakeholders, the bureau added.
In its efforts toward digital transformation, the bureau said that the use of a digital payment system will further increase its operational efficiency, cut down bureaucratic red tape, and improve the overall delivery of service.
By adopting LandBank’s portal, the BOC said it seeks to expedite payment procedures, reduce delays and provide a more convenient and user-friendly experience for stakeholders.
Deputy Commissioner of Revenue Collection Monitoring Group Atty. Clarence S. Dizon, Acting Deputy Commissioner of Internal Administration Group Michael C. Fermin and Officer-in-Charge of the Management Information Systems and Technology Group Kriden F. Balgomera witnessed the ceremonial signing.
Meanwhile, LandBank’s President and Chief Executive Officer Lynette V. Ortiz extended their support to the BOC and expressed its intention to do their part in “serving the nation.”
According to the BOC, this partnership marks a “collective effort in the continuous pursuit to enhance, digitize, and simplify government services in accordance with one of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s eight-point socioeconomic agendas to improve bureaucratic efficiency, prioritize digitalization, harmonize, and standardize governmental processes.”
Recently, the BOC announced it collected P70.601 billion in revenues for February this year on the back of enhanced strategies and technological advancements which enabled the agency to optimize its procedures and trade facilitation efforts.
The Customs bureau’s February collections exceeded its target of P66.207 billion and generated a surplus of 6.64 percent or P4.393 billion, based on its preliminary report.
The BOC has earned a total of P143.93 billion in the first two months of the year with a 2024 revenue target pegged at P1 trillion, higher by 15 to 20 percent than it collected last year, according to Commissioner Rubio.