Giant international oil refinery firm in the
Philippines, Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp. has shown strong stand to close
down their oil refinery in Batangas toward Bureau of Customs (BOC) after the
latter seizes P43 billion worth of Shell’s imports to pay for supposed
backtaxes.
On recent news, the Customs wants to seize Shell’s
shipments worth $293 million arriving on February to May 2010 to cover tax
deficiencies from 2004 to 2009 involving shipments of Catalytic Cracked Gasoline
(CCG) and Light Catalytic Cracked Gasoline (LCCG).
However, Shell claims that these are raw materials
for the production of unleaded premium gasoline for which duties have been paid
for, but Customs accuses the oil firm of misdeclaring the goods, demanding the
payment of excise taxes levied on finished products intended for domestic
consumption.
"The threatened
seizure is unjust, premature and oppressive," Pilipinas Shell counsel
Simeon V. Marcelo said in a press statement.
Marcelo added that what makes it worse is that the BoC threatens to seize all
of Shell’s shipments, even those that are not CCG or LCGG.
Last December 9, 2009,
the Court of Tax Appeals granted Shell a 60-day temporary restraining order
blocking the intended seizure.
Pilipinas Shell is sad to
announce that the seizure would affect its 823 workers in the refinery and a
loss of P11 billion a month. It would also affect the operation and employment
of workers in other 959 retail stations.
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