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smuggled cigarettes

Pia Gutierrez

Ched Rick Gatchalian

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1727945294293smuggled-cigarettes-file.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">File. <em>Bureau of Customs handout </em></span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>MANILA — The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) said Thursday it will beef up its fight against tobacco smuggling as part of enforcing the recently signed <span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">Republic Act No. 12022</span> or the Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage law.</p><p>The new law, signed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. last week, aims to impose stiffer penalties against smugglers and hoarders of agricultural products. It can be considered as an economic sabotage when the value of the product exceeds P10 million.</p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/2024/9/26/marcos-jr-signs-new-law-classifying-smuggling-as-economic-sabotage-1700">READ: Marcos Jr. signs new law classifying agri smuggling as economic sabotage</a></div><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/2024/9/26/bbm-anti-agri-smuggling-law-1738">PHOTO: PBBM signs law classifying agri-smuggling as economic sabotage</a></div><p>Financing smugglers and hoarders, as well as creating cartels, is also considered economic sabotage.</p><p>&quot;Itong batas na ito ay napakagandang development sa ating bansa dahil alam naman natin na ang ating bansa ay isang agricultural country rin, maraming umaasa sa agrikultura kaya kailangang protektahan natin ang industriyang ito,&quot; said BIR Commissioner Romeo Lumagui Jr. on &quot;Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon&quot; program.</p><p>&quot;Patuloy nag pagre-raid natin sa mga illicit trades ng sigarilyo dahil laganap po &#x27;yan. &#x27;Yung iba kung ano-anong front na ang ginagawa kunwari mage-export pero sa totoo dito lang din binebenta. Maraming produkto na hindi nagko-comply at nakarehistro sa BIR. At &#x27;yung &#x27;di bayad ang excise tax,&quot; he added.</p><p>BIR emphasized that the agency will keep a close watch on tobacco smuggling as the national government loses billions of pesos from excise tax violations. This is also meant to protect the livelihood of local tobacco farmers.</p><div><span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">“Bilyun-bilyon ang nawawala sa atin kaya naman ang koleksiyon natin sa excise tax ay diyan tayo medyo challenging – iyong pagdating sa excise tax collection na target dahil dito rin at iyong iba naman kasi nagpo-focus o nagsi-shift from sa sigarilyo to vape products kaya tinututukan natin itong industriyang na ito at masigurado na ma-capture natin at malaman natin kung magkano talaga ang nawawala dito,&quot; the BIR chief mentioned.</span></div><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/05/18/23/cigarette-smuggling-keeping-bir-from-hitting-revenue-target">Cigarette smuggling keeping BIR from hitting revenue target</a></div><p>The BIR said it will continue coordinating with the National Tobacco Administration (NTA) and other law enforcement agencies for anti-tobacco smuggling efforts.</p><div><span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">“Gusto rin natin na nagko-coordinate tayo sa pulis at sa NBI para sa pagtulong sa amin sa pagri-raid ng mga smugglers sa mga warehouse – iyan ang ginagawa natin; at mas pinaigting ang ating enforcement dito – nagtatayo tayo ng mga specific na task force at patuloy ang paghuli at pagmi-monitor natin ng mga warehouses dito,” he said.</span></div><p>NTA already stated that the illicit trade of tobacco causes serious loss of revenue, business closures, decrease in local demand, and environmental degradation in the economy.</p><p>Lumagui added that the penalty to law violators is life imprisonment and a fine five times the value of the agricultural product. It is a non-bailable offense.<span data-teams="true" id="isPasted"></span><br/></p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO: </strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9K5iga1QAno?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></div>

<p>The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) said Thursday it will beef up its fight against tobacco smuggling as part of enforcing the recently signed Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage.</p>

The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) said Thursday it will beef up its fight against tobacco smuggling as part of enforcing the recently signed Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage.

BIR says beefing up campaign vs cigarette smuggling under new law

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BIR says beefing up campaign vs cigarette smuggling under new law

Pia Gutierrez,

Ched Rick Gatchalian,

ABS-CBN News

Published Oct 03, 2024 04:49 PM PHT

|

Updated Oct 03, 2024 05:34 PM PHT

Read More:

Tobacco

Cigarette Products

Smuggling

Hoarding

Illicit Trade

Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage

ABSNews

Business

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