frIAIITIR@SgBUIIETTTI

Wednesday, November Zl, Z0lg

House bill gxempting foreign

donations from customs
duties, taxes approved
By CHARTSSA M. tUCFATt[N/r
The House Committee on Ways and
Means has unanimously approved a bill
seeking to create a registration, licensing
and accreditation system for social welfare
and development agencies (SWDAs).
The House panel chaired by Albay
Rep. Joey salceda specifically approved the
"tax exemption" provision of House Bill
No. 4,796 (The proposed Social Welfare and
Development Agencies Act) principally au-
thored by La Union Rep. Sandra Eriguel.
Eriguel, chairman of the House com-
mittee on Social Services, said her bill
grants benefits and privileges to registered
SWDAS and to licensed and accredited Social
Welfare Agencies (SWAs).
Section 20 of the bill grants exemption
from the payrnent of custoirs duties, and taxes
foreign donadon made to the registered,
.of any
licensed and accredited SWDAs, she said.
It also grants "exemption from donor's
tax of all grants, bequest, endor,rmients,
donations and conlributions that weie
granted to registered, licensed and accred-
ited SWDAS, if these are actually, directly
and exclusively used by the said SWDAS in
their operations and for their social welfare
programs and services,') she added.
.SWDA ('a
The bill defines as non-
stock, nonprofit corporation, organization,
association, or cooperative engaged in
providing, directly
or indirectly, social
welfare and devel-
opment programs
and services. "
Eriguel noted
that the bill has been
a ((priority legisla-
tive proposal" of the
Department of Social
Welfare and Devel-
opment (DSWD) for
the last three con-
gresses, incldding
the 18th Congress.
"This bill is an
anti-corruption measure and strategy as
it is intended to promote transparenry and
accountability among social welfare and
development agencies. This is envisioned
.to protect the program beneficiaries from
abuse and exploitation," she said in her
sponsorship speech.
The House leader said once enacted into
law, the measure will strengthen the regu-
Iatory functions of the Standards Bureau of
the DSJtrD.
((It
will give the Department the man-
date to register and license SWDAS and to
accredit social welfare and development
programs and services. Hence, the opera-
tions and management of the SWDAS in both
public and private sectors will be closely
monitored and evaluated by the Depart-
ment,'l Eriguel said.
The salceda panel approved the tax
proqisioq of the bill after coop-NATcco
partylist Rep. Sabiniano Canama, one of the
principal authors, moved for its approval.
Salceda said the bill's approval was "irr
cognizance') that the measure was approved
on third and ftnal reading during the previous
Uth Congress, even as he cited the "prolifera-
tion" of STWDAs and SWAS in the country.
Eriguel thanked the Salceda panel for
. approving HB 4796, particularly its provi-
sions granting exemption to SWDAS from
' tax HB
and customs duties.
4796 aims to ensure effectiveness,
efficienry and accountability in the delivery
of quility social welfare and development
programs and services.
It grants DSWD regulatory powers and
functions over agencies and organizations
engaged in social welfare and development
activities.
The bill tasks the DswD to collect the
application fees for registration, licenqing
and accreditation qs well as monitor the
swDAs and their dissolution-
under the bill, the swDAs that oper-
ate without registration or licenst shall be
slapped with a fine of Floo, ooo to F5oo, ooo,
or imprisonment ranging from one to three
. years.

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