THE

. PHILIPPINE STAR
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THURSDAY I AUGUST 22,2019

Approval ,gf DOF's tax ieform version pushed

By CHRISTINA MENDEZ
Sen. Pia Cayetano yesterday
reiterated the Senate's shared
aspiration with lvlalacafiang
to get additional revenues to
improve the government's
delivery of basic services after
the House of Representatives
passed a version that cut by
regular Kapihan sa Manila Bay Senate hearings in the next public Act 8424, as amended,
media forum. weeks. or the National Internal Rev-
On Tuesday, the House of "My goal, vou have to un' enue Code oft997.
Representatives endorsed for derstand where I am coming Cayetano's committee is
Senate approval House Bill from. I have always chaired now conducting a series of
L026 - Palkage 2 Plus B of the the committee involved in public hearings on the CTRP
Comprehensive Tax Reform the delivery of social services, as part of government's effort
Progiam ('CTRP) with '184 af- (like) health, education and to ichieve its targets under the
firmative, two negative and environm ent," Cayetano said. United Nations' Sustainable'
one abstention. "A lot of them are very dear Development Goals ,.ii,

almost half the government's The bill, howevet will give to me. That's why I am excited -The CTRP includes pro-'
projected P3z.g4-billion rev- the government P17 billion to find the funding for that... In posals seeking to lower the'
-orporate income tax (CIT)'and
enues. in revenues lower than the that sense, I am supportive of
' Cayetano, chairperson of the DOF-Department of Health raising these funds," she added. rationalize tax incentives of
Senate ways and means com- version, which will generate Th-e rsenator stressed she businesses (Package 2); impose -
mittee, vowed to push for the P3z.g|billion. This is because would have to adjust if the taxes higher excise taxes on alco- -
approval of the Deparbnent of the House-approved cigarette would tum out to be excessive. hol products and e-cigarettes
Finance (DOF)'s version of the products did not include 'lWe' re passing taxation mea-(Package 2+); reform the prop-
regulan cigarettes, accord-
administration priority measure sures not because'it is being erty valuation system (Pack-
providing additional excise ing to Cayetano, citing the imposed upon us by any inter- age 3) and rationalize capital
taxes on alcohol products. Tax Reform for Acceleration national body. We'te in a posi- income taxation (Package 4).
"I have an open mind to and Inclusion Law on the tion where we are cleaning up Cayetano said she plans to
go towards the version of the increased excise tax on ciga* our (own) house, not because conduct a hearing every week
DOF because I am with the rettes. we have to but because ifs the to discuss the tax measures.
administration. I don't have The senator said she wants best thing to do," she said. - With Delon Pprcalla,
any issue to try the best of to give equal airtime to manu- HB rc26 seeks to amend Paolo Romero, Jess Diaz,
my ability," she said at the facturers during her scheduled Sections 1.41,1"42and 143 of Re- Sheila Crisostomo

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