By Tracy Cabrera
Last week, President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. shook up key positions in the country’s top collection agencies, namely the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and the Bureau of Customs (BoC).
The chief executive transferred erstwhile BIR chief Charlito Mendoza to the BoC while former Department of Finance (DoF) undersecretary for the revenue operations group (ROG) Atty. Rolando Ligon Jr. took over the helm of the BIR.
A tax lawyer and certified public accountant, Ligon brings two decades of experience in revenue operations, legal policy and trade compliance.
With him, businesses and taxpayers can expect faster tax transactions, simpler compliance procedures, and tighter safeguards against anomalies as the new revenue chief has vowed to modernize the BIR’s systems over the next five years.
In a statement, Ligon explained that the planned overhauling will upgrade the bureau’s aging computer infrastructure and integrate data analytics across revenue district offices to improve tax administration, reduce bureaucratic delays and strengthen revenue collection.
“Updating the BIR’s IT infrastructure is the backbone of our digital and data transformation strategy. By modernizing our computer systems, we will eliminate administrative bottlenecks, minimize room for corruption, ensure data integrity, and provide taxpayers with faster, more efficient digital channels,” he pointed out.
“The plan is expected to ease compliance costs for businesses by streamlining tax processes while strengthening the government’s ability to detect irregularities and protect revenue collections,” he added.
Ligon likewise pledged to intens
ify anti-corruption measures while distinguishing compliant taxpayers from deliberate tax evaders.
“We will provide taxpayer assistance to those who want to comply but will apply the full force of the law to those who deliberately dodge payment of taxes,” he stressed.
Along side the digital upgrade, though, Ligon disclosed that he will retain the five-point DARES reform agenda introduced by his predecessor which covers digital transformation, audit accountability, revenue protection, employee welfare and taxpayer services.
“The public can count on me to focus on building public trust through administrative continuity, rigorous anti-corruption safeguards, and technological upgrades,” the new revenue chief asserted.
