THE BUREAU of Customs (BoC) and the Land Bank of the Philippines (LANDBANK) have signed an agreement for a digital payment system of miscellaneous fees through Link.BizPortal as the bureau works toward full digitalization.
The memorandum of agreement (MoA) was signed on Monday by Customs Commissioner Bienvenido Y. Rubio and LANDBANK President and Chief Executive Officer Lynette V. Ortiz.
“Through LANDBANK’s Link.BizPortal, we are not only facilitating smoother transactions but also fostering greater transparency and accountability,” Mr. Rubio said in a statement.
The LANDBANK’s digital payment system is expected to reduce bureaucratic red tape, bolster operational efficiency, and enhance service delivery of the BoC.
The payment platform could handle small and large-value payments, allow real-time debit from payor’s account as well as batch credit to merchant’s account, and issue a payment confirmation through e-mail.
“By leveraging the capabilities of the Landbank Link.BizPortal, the BoC aims to streamline payment processes, minimize delays, and provide a more convenient and user-friendly experience for stakeholders,” the bureau said.
“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,” it added.
The BoC earlier said it might delay its push towards full digitalization to 2026, citing procurement delays.
The Philippines Customs Modernization Project was approved by the World Bank in 2020. The project aims to reduce trade costs and improve the efficiency of the agency.
The BoC on Tuesday reported that its collections reached P70.601 billion in February, surpassing its P66.207-billion target for the month by 6.64%.
The collection was also 12.3% higher than its P62.895-billion collection a year ago. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz
