MANILA, Philippines—Office of Internal Revenue (BIR) Commissioner Romeo D. Lumagui Jr. has been recognized for his commitment to good governance by Kaya Natin! Movement for good governance and ethical leadership.
The honor was presented to Lumagui on June 24 at the B Hotel in Quezon City to mark the 15th anniversary of the founding of the organization.
“People react positively when they see signs of good governance,” Lumagui said as he accepted the award. He noted the positive changes seen in the BIR under his leadership, changes which he said laid the foundation for better service and better governance.
Kaya Natin! Movement, created in 2008 by local government leaders including the late Jesse Robredo, husband of former Vice President Leni Robredo, is a non-profit organization. Its members include public servants and involved citizens who promote the group’s values of effective, ethical and accountable leadership. Former Senator Bam Aquino, who was present at the event, chairs the organization.
Harvey Keh, lead organizer, expressed the group’s enthusiasm to collaborate with BIR for the first time, citing Lumagui’s integrity and commitment to good governance as the main reasons.
Lumagui, appointed Internal Revenue Commissioner in November 2022, has since led the BIR to record tax collections, exceeding the target amount by 1.73% and marking a year-over-year increase of 13.31% compared to 2022.
“All of our programs have been formulated and executed in accordance with the four pillars of good governance in the BIR,” Lumagui said, describing them as excellent taxpayer service, digital transformation, institutional integrity and professionalism, and business development. audacious applications.
Under Lumagui’s leadership, the BIR took a tough stance against illegal activity, launching raids on vape and illicit cigarette sellers and launching a campaign against the use of fraudulent receipts – a first for a tax commissioner. These initiatives aim to recover estimated P46 B revenue lost due to tax evasion.
Internally, Lumagui has also taken on corruption, having recently fired 26 BIR employees on charges ranging from gross misconduct to gross dishonesty. Despite these measures, he assured the public that all actions follow due process and uphold the rule of law.
Reflecting on BIR’s historic collections in the first four months of the year, Lumagui pointed out that these results demonstrate the effectiveness of BIR employees under quality leadership and indicate a restoration of public confidence in the institution. .
“Filipinos yearn and hope for good governance. And they know what good governance looks like,” he said.
Lumagui, grateful for the recognition of his achievements, expressed his continued commitment to elevating the BIR from a collection-focused agency to one that is service-focused and champions good governance.
“Much remains to be done to achieve good governance from an organizational point of view at BIR. What is important, however, is that given the limited time we have, we have been able to put in place programs on integrity, the rule of law and ethical leadership in the BIR,” the Commissioner said. .
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