Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 2) — The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) said it has more than 7,000 unfilled positions due to the agency’s low salary offer, its commissioner said.
\”Our main problem is the difficulty in recruiting personnel considering the low salary that the BIR has compared with other government agencies. Like our lawyers and accountants, the salary of BIR officials compared to, for example, prosecutors, PAO, it’s very not competitive,\” BIR Commissioner Romeo Lumagui Jr. said on Monday during the senate deliberations on the proposed 2024 budget of the Department of Finance and its attached agencies.
\”For BIR the main problems we’re having, well we’re addressing it right now, it’s (we’re) active in promotions so that we can hire more employees, we’re also aggressive in HR provinces, so that the regions can hire on its own, without undergoing to the national office,\” he said.
Lumagui said that the provincial offices have the most unfilled positions. He said compared with other agencies like the Civil Service with ₱51,000 monthly for its entry lawyers, BIR offers only a ₱27,000 salary.
Senator Win Gachalian said that if the employees have low salaries, corruption and temptations may occur. He also said that the Bureau of Customs has 2,061 unfilled positions.
\”No matter how we improve the process, if the basic attraction-which is the salary is low, it’s gonna be difficult for the BIR and the BOC to attract talents especially this is an enforcement group,\” Gachalian said.
Lumagui then stressed that they need support for the adjustment of the salaries for the talents.
For his part, Sec. Benjamin Diokno said that the BIR should consider not only the salary adjustments but also the reclassification of the positions of tax collectors and lawyers.
\”That item [tax collector position] is important kasi there’s no comparable position in other government agencies eh, so puwede pong i-reevaluate ‘yun, collector…So siguro we wish to consider reclassifying the position of their tax collectors and their lawyers.
