BIR plans school for its staff

The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) is planning to put up a school that will educate and upgrade the tax assessment and collection skills of the agency's personnel, BIR Senior Deputy Commissioner Joel Tan-Torrres said on Friday.
Tan-Torres said the creation of the Philippine Tax Academy will enhance the skills and develop the expertise of BIR officials and personnel.
Congress is now deliberating on a bill creating the academy and defining its powers and functions.
Under the proposed measure, the academy shall serve as the primary training school for selected applicants and continuing good education and training for tax collectors and administrators.
Tan-Torres described the proposed academy as a welcome development, saying it will be a catalyst for improving the country's tax administration system.
"This academy will directly help improve the BIR's collection efficiency, lessen bureaucratic red tape, revive the integrity of the tax service and boost the morale of revenue personnel," he said.
Tan-Torres said the measure will put the Philippines at par with other developed countries that have greatly benefitted from the creation of their respective tax academies.
"We see that the more successful tax organizations in Asia have training facilities, structured programs for training their personnel, and dedicated and well-equipped campuses manned by qualified and permanent faculty," the revenue official said.