INCREASED COLLECTIONS. Bureau of Internal Revenue-Caraga Director Jose Eric Furia (center) discusses the region's 5.35% rise in tax collections for the first eight months of 2024 during the Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas in Butuan City on Tuesday (Oct. 8, 2024). BIR-Caraga collected PHP6.9 billion, up from PHP6.5 billion last year. (PNA photo by Alexander Lopez)
BUTUAN CITY – The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Revenue No. 17 (Caraga) reported a 5.35-percent increase in revenue collections from January to August 2024, collecting PHP6.9 billion compared to PHP6.5 billion during the same period last year.
BIR Caraga Director Jose Eric Furia announced the figures during the Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas forum on Tuesday, noting that the region aims to meet its PHP11.7 billion annual target.
“For the remaining months of the year, we will need to collect around PHP4.8 billion to meet our goal,” Furia said.
Furia credited the growth in part to efforts to modernize tax services through its Digital Transformation Program, which includes innovations such as the Online Registration and Update System and the ePAY platform for electronic payments.
He also highlighted ongoing efforts to curb smuggling in the region, with PHP219 million worth of illegal cigarettes seized since April.
In addition to Butuan City, the BIR Caraga’s satellite offices, including those in Cabadbaran City and surrounding municipalities, are equipped with digital tools to better serve taxpayers.
Furia emphasized that the bureau continues to encourage voluntary and accurate tax payments to meet the region’s collection goals. (PNA)
