The Philippines' main tax agency missed its target in April, normally the strongest month for tax collection, and a senior official said on Wednesday it would be "very tough" to meet the full-year goal due to a slower economy.

Sixto Esquivias, commissioner at the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), said the agency did not meet its tax collection target of P100 billion ($2.1 billion) last month, when the annual deadline for income tax payments falls due.

Esquivias did not disclose the actual figure but told reporters it was lower than the P91 billion collected by the agency in April 2008.

Asked about the chances of the BIR achieving its full-year target of netting P850.6 billion, Esquivias said: "It would be very tough to meet it. It depends on the economic indicators whether we will ask (the government) for a revision."

The latest BIR target is already P15 billion lower than a previous goal.

The Southeast Asian nation is borrowing about P21 billion more from the domestic market to help fund a budget deficit that has been increased to 2.5 percent of gross domestic product from 2.2 percent previously to boost spending to stimulate the economy.

The government is looking at a fiscal deficit of P199.2 billion this year, compared to a previous forecast of P177.2 billion.

The budget gap stood at P119.7 billion at the end of the first quarter. The government is expected to release the April fiscal data on May 18.