MANILA, Philippines – Malacañang has ordered abolished the One-Stop-Shop Inter-Agency Credit and Duty Drawback Center, which was created in 1992 and made a permanent office under the Department of Finance (DOF) in 1994.

Administrative Order No. 4, issued on February 20 but made public only on Wednesday, February 22, abolished the “OSS Center” on account of the Marcos admin’s push for “rightsizing.”

The order was signed by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin.

Marcos, through AO 4, ordered the closure of the OSS Center within 90 working days and the transfer of its functions, personnel, and assets to either the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) or the Bureau of Customs (BOC).

The issuance of tax credit certificates and duty drawbacks – once among the OSS Center’s task – reverts to the BIR and the BOC.

OSS Center personnel are also accorded separation benefits, unless they are appointed to new posts in government. Vacant posts in the OSS Center are considered abolished.

The OSS Center was created in 1992 through AO 266, issued under then-president Corazon Aquino. Back then, “the simplification of the availments of said credits on taxes and duties, as well as safeguarding the system from the occurrence of undue claim, is urgently needed” was cited as the reason for its creation.

Two years later, under then-president Fidel Ramos, the OSS Center was made into a permanent unit through AO 138. – Rappler.com