The government has so far collected P229.5 billion in duties under its fuel-marking program since the start of its implementation in September 2019.
Broken down, the bulk of the amount or P201.58 billion in duties and taxes was collected by the Bureau of Customs from September 2019 to May 13 this year while the remaining P27.92 billion in excise tax was collected by the Bureau of Internal Revenue from December 2019 to May 6 this year.
Data from the Department of Finance showed the government has so far marked 23.59 billion liters as of May 13.
Most of the fuel marked was diesel, cornering 60.76 percent or 14.34 billion liters followed by gasoline with 38.69 percent or 9.13 billion liters and kerosene with 0.54 percent or 127.9 million liters.
By region, Luzon has the lion’s share of fuel marked with 73.54 percent or 17.35 billion liters of fuel. Next is Mindanao with 21.13 percent or 4.99 billion liters and Visayas with 5.33 percent or 1.26 billion liters.
There are now 24 companies participating in the fuel marking program.
Petron Corp. still led the list of companies that had their fuel marked with a 22.32-percent share in the total volume of marked fuel or 5.27 billion liters.
Trailing Petron are Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp. (19.62 percent or 4.63 billion liters); Unioil Resources & Holdings Co. Inc. (10.4 percent or 2.45 billion liters); Seaoil Philippines Inc. (8.27 percent or 1.95 billion liters); and, Insular Oil Corp. (7.65 percent or 1.8 billion liters).
In February, House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Albay Rep. Joey Salceda revealed that the government lost P357 billion from 2010 to 2019 due to fuel smuggling.
While Salceda said fuel marking helped lower smuggling, foregone revenues are still rising because the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion law raised taxes on fuel products in 2018.
Fuel marking makes use of a unique chemical marker that can be embedded at a molecular level in petroleum products—gasoline, diesel, and kerosene—thereby enabling authorities to test, identify and distinguish petroleum products with paid excise taxes.
Under Republic Act 10963 (or TRAIN law), petroleum products that are refined, manufactured, or imported to the Philippines such as, but not limited to, unleaded premium gasoline, kerosene and diesel, shall be marked by an official marking agent after payment of taxes and duties.
The fuel-marking program was launched to curb illegal importation, manufacturing, and other fraudulent activities relating to the use and sale of petroleum products in the country.