The Philippine Tax Academy (PTA) has completed the development of 14 competency-based mandatory online studies required for new hires at the Bureau of Customs (BOC) as well as refresher courses for existing BOC employees, the Department of Finance (DOF) has said.
Finance Undersecretary Gil Beltran said the PTA is also completing training courses for the Bureau of Local Government Finance (BLGF) Institute as well as executive courses on revenue mobilizations for officials of the BOC and the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).
For the competency-based mandatory online courses for new and existing BOC employees, the topics cover Custom Management and Administration; Tariff, Customs and Related Laws Rules and Regulations and Procedures Implementation; Assessment and Revenue Collections; Intelligence and Enforcement; Trade Facilitation; Border Patrol and Security; and Use of Technology, Beltran said in a report to Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III.
“We have also identified 23 courses as drivers of revenue mobilization to be delivered half-day as executive lecture series for regional directors and above of the BIR and BOC,” Beltran reported during a recent DOF Executive Committee (Execom) meeting.
These executive courses will focus on Assessment and Revenue Collections; Customs Management and Administration; Tax Administration; International Tax Affairs; Fiscal Policy Formulation; and Public Finance Management Compliance, Beltran said.
“Our resource persons for these executive courses will be former and present DOF officials as well as industry experts,” Beltran said.
Dominguez directed Beltran during the Execom meeting to also prepare courses for treasurers of local government units (LGUs) who are under the supervision of the DOF, through the BLGF.
Beltran said the PTA has already scheduled an induction program for newly hired local treasurers and BLGF employees in August to September.
He said the course will be recorded and uploaded online to enable LGU treasurers in remote locations to access it.
The PTA has also set a training course on Real Property Compliance and Schedule of Market Values for BLGF employees as well as a Local Government Finance Executive Course for newly elected officials, both in August, Beltran said.
Under Republic Act 10143, the PTA “shall serve as a learning institution for tax collectors and administrators of the government and selected applicants from the private sector.”
This law provides that, “All existing officials and personnel of the BIR (Bureau of Internal Revenue), the BOC (Bureau of Customs) and the BLGF shall be required to undergo the re-tooling and enhancement seminars and training programs to be conducted by the Philippine Tax Academy.”
It also requires “all applicants to the said bureaus” “to pass the basic courses before they can be hired whether on contractual or permanent status.” (Press Release/DOF)
