New head vows return of integrity in BIR

11/07/2008

New Internal Revenue Commissioner Sixto Esquivias IV promised to improve the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) into an institution of high stature and its personnel known for their moral and intellectual worth.

Esquivias made this statement in a speech delivered after the flag ceremony last Monday Nov. 3, at the BIR National Office driveway in Quezon City.

“My vision for the BIR is for it to be recognized for its worth. An institution untainted with corruption and unscrupulous people. If you are from BIR, the public will say you are really good that is why you are with BIR,” he said.

He revealed that negative comments about BIR hurt him and he always had to defend the BIR.

“We really need to do something about the perception of the people outside,” he quipped.

With 23 years of service in the bureau, he knows that BIR is populated with intelligent and hardworking people. He also noted that in spite of this, people in the BIR are underpaid.

Esquivias promised every effort to try to exclude BIR from the coverage of the salary standardization Law and place salaries of BIR personnel competitive with the private sector.

Esquivias also mentioned the need to focus on improving service not limited to taxpayer service by simplifying forms and process for easy compliance of taxpayers.

He then ordered the deputy commissioner for tax reforms Danilo Duncano to study existing processes and systems and draw guidelines to simplify the same.

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