Recto praises PH Tax Academy’s training expansion, calls for scale-up

Finance Secretary Ralph G. Recto commended the Philippine Tax Academy (PTA) for expanding its training programs in 2023 and urged the agency to continue scaling its efforts to improve the country’s tax administration capabilities.

The call comes as the government seeks to boost revenue collections essential for national development.

“The Philippine Tax Academy is our crucial partner in making sure that our revenuers are well-equipped with knowledge and expertise to raise a collective level of efficiency, transparency, and credibility in performing their sacred duties of raising much-needed resources for the benefit of the Filipino people,” said Recto.

“We owe it to our taxpayers to ensure that there are no inconsistencies in our tax collections and that our tax collectors and administrators provide them with the best service possible, with all honesty and competency.”

The PTA, a government-owned and controlled corporation (GOCC), provides training and education to tax collectors and administrators from both the government and the private sector.

It offers curriculums that focus on technical tax administration, collection, and compliance, as well as career development.

In 2023, the PTA trained 7,242 employees and developed 53 new courses, cementing its role in improving tax collection efficiency.

The academy also partnered with local and international institutions, including the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP), and global organizations such as the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), Japan Customs Training Institute, and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Among the PTA’s key achievements were the development of competency management systems for the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), Bureau of Customs (BOC), and the Bureau of Local Government Finance (BLGF).

These systems are now being used in the onboarding programs for each bureau, enhancing their personnel’s capacity in revenue collection.

The PTA also achieved Continuing Professional Development (CPD) accreditation from the Philippine Regulation Commission (PRC) for the training of accountants and customs brokers. Five CPD courses, including those on local government unit (LGU) responsible financing and tax exemption compliance, were developed.

“The PTA’s ongoing expansion demonstrates our commitment to professionalizing the country’s tax collection system. In doing so, we are setting the stage for more robust and transparent revenue collection that will support the country’s economic growth,” Recto added.

During a recent meeting, PTA President Gil Beltran and other key officials briefed Recto on their progress. The PTA’s initiatives include ISO 9001:2015 certification and the introduction of good governance manuals on corporate governance, quality management, and merit selection.

Looking ahead, Recto encouraged the PTA to extend its reach further by offering its services to other agencies under the Department of Finance (DOF) and expanding its work with government-owned and controlled corporations like the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) and the National Tax Research Center (NTRC).

With these initiatives, the PTA is positioning itself as a vital institution in ensuring the country’s fiscal health and national development through improved tax administration and collection.