Smuggling of tobacco products to the Philippines has worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic, with as much as 52 percent of imports underreported in 2021, according to a report of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).
Data presented to the House Committee on Ways & Means showed that local importers only declared receiving $2.01 billion worth of foreign tobacco items between 2016 and 2021 even if there was a total of $3.42 billion worth of products brought into the country.
This translates to $1.4 billion in underreported shipments, or 41% of the total cargo. It peaked at $364.14 million in 2021, the second year of COVID-19 restrictions.
This scheme is reportedly on top of a similar modus to smuggle in crops and other agricultural products.
The last big-time tobacco smuggler penalized by the government was Mighty Corporation in 2017.
Look: Nawawalang kita ng gobyerno dahil sa tobacco smuggling batay sa datos ng House Ways & Means committee @AbanteNews @Politiko_Ph pic.twitter.com/MWcPhtxaSt
— LeiFBiLLY (@Leifbilly) January 23, 2023