Senator Raffy Tulfo has questioned the Bureau of Customs’ (BOC) procurement of low-quality mobile X-ray equipment from China with exorbitant maintenance costs.
Tulfo asked why the BOC chose China over other countries like the United States which have the same high-quality equipment at lower prices.
He said in 2016, the Philippine government paid P7.953 billion to the Chinese firm Nuctech Co.
Ltd. for 30 units of mobile X-ray machines through a loan agreement with the Chinese government.
Even though the Commission on Audit later found the transaction to be “exorbitantly overpriced” by P4.215 billion, the BOC still purchased the same model in 2020.
On top of these, Tulfo lamented that the BOC was paying roughly P700 million every year for maintenance of the equipment from Nuctech.
He also said the amount does not include the replacement of the machine’s parts.
What further angered Tulfo is how BOC is still paying for the maintenance of equipment that is non-operational.
According to Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio, two of the 26 machines were non-operational, adding that they have requested upgrading of the equipment.
Tulfo recommended the disposal of the non-operational machines to save more money by buying cheaper new equipment from reliable brands from other countries like the US.
The senator also cited the rampant smuggling of goods and other contraband through misdeclaration despite the BO/s mobile equipment.
He urged BOC to address the irregularity, citing as examples luxury cars that entered the country without Customs records.
He said the smugglers would declare the luxury cars as pick-up trucks to avoid payment of excise tax because pick-up trucks are considered as something needed for livelihood.
Tulfo told Rubio to “clean your backyard” as a first step to putting an end to smuggling.