(Ni JOEL O. AMONGO)

Sinimulan na ng gobyer­no sa pamamagitan ng Department of Finance (DOF), Bureau of Customs (BOC) at Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) ang implementasyon ng ‘Fuel Marking Program’ sa isinagawang  ‘first live marking of petroleum products’ nitong nakaraang Biyernes   (Agosto 2, 2019),  sa Sea­Oil Bulk Terminal sa Mabini, Batangas.

Ang nasabing aktibidad ay dinaluhan ng mga opis­yales at kinatawan mula sa DOF, BOC, BIR, Department of Energy (DOE), Procurement Service-Department of Budget and Management (DBM) at SICPA-SGS Philippines.

Sa ilalim ng Section 148-A ng National Internal Revenue Code (NIRC), na inamiyendahan ng Republic Act No. 10963, o mas kilala sa tawag na Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) at ang DOF-BOC-BIR Joint Circular No. 001.2019, nakasaad na isinagawa ang stocktaking  sa lahat ng tax paid gasoline, diesel at kerosene na nakaimbak sa lahat ng depots/terminals.

Sa susunod na buwan, magsasagawa rin ng random field testing sa pamamagitan ng BOC, BIR and SICPA-SGS sa depots, tank trucks at retail stations upang madetermina ang presensya at dilution level ng fuel marker sa fuels na kung saan kinakailangan ng  marking.

Ayon sa BOC, ang aktibidad ay magpapatuloy hanggang sa dumami sa pamilihan ang mga produktong petrolyo.

“A confirmatory testing will be conducted imme­diately on fuels found to be unmarked or with marker le­vels below the prescribed dilution level and correspon­ding duties and taxes will be collected from oil companies found to have unmarked or diluted fuels,” ayon kay Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero.

Layunin ng programa, pigilan ang ‘revenue lea­kages’ mula sa oil smuggling sa pamamagitan ng paglalagay ng molecular marker sa imported, manufactured at refined petroleum products na tulad ng gasoline, diesel at kerosene.

“The implementation of the Fuel Marking Program is a milestone for the Bureau of Customs as well as the Bureau of Internal Revenue and the Department of Finance, as we have painstakingly worked together in order to ensure the success of the program. With the cooperation and support of partner agencies and stakeholders, we are ready to implement the Fuel Marking Program and make it work,” dagdag pa ng Customs chief.

Noong Hulyo 25, 2019, ang DOF, BOC, BIR at SICPA-SGS sa pakikipagtulu­ngan ng PTT Philippines ay nagsagawa rin ng paggaya  sa marking and testing process sa Philippine Coastal Storage and Pipeline Corporation (PCSPC) sa Subic.