Pulse Asia’s 80 percent trust rating for House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano, in its latest survey, seems to indicate a “sustained intensity and robust broadening of public confidence in the House of Representatives and its united leadership,” a Bicolano lawmaker said Tuesday.
In the latest survey earlier this month, Cayetano got an 80 percent trust rating, up by 16 percentage points from his 64 percent last September.
Albay Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda, House Ways and Means Committee chairman, said Cayetano’s and the House’s ratings, which have both steadily risen, consistent with other surveys, “demonstrate that the public appreciates what the House leadership and collective membership, and the focused work of its committees have achieved in a matter of six months.
“Our hard work did not go unnoticed; they ultimately paid off,” he said.
The lawmaker said the high trust ratings affirm the impressive House performance in legislating economic reforms.
These include the swift approval of the 2020 General Appropriations Act, and various revenue reform measures such as the Alcohol and Vape tax, the Corporate Income Tax and Incentives Rationalization Act (CITIRA), the Passive Income and Financial Intermediary Tax Act (PIFITA) and the Retail Trade Liberalization Act, among others.
Salceda shared that the House now earnestly works on a number of new initiatives that are supportive of the national agenda.
“The House Ways and Means Committee is pledged to sustain its commitment to funding the President’s key infrastructure and human development priorities,” he assured.
“To this end, we will keep our push for passage in plenary of key tax bills our Committee has already passed, namely: the 1) POGO tax regime (P300 billion in 5 years); 2) Motor Vehicle Road Users’ Tax (P122 billion in 5 years); 3) Mining Fiscal Regime (P15 billion in 5 years); 4) Tax on single-use plastics (P 20 billion)” or almost P460 billion resources for widespread prosperity and rapid economic expansion in five years, he added.
The Pulse Asia survey results also showed continuous public trust on President Duterte. In September, the SWS survey showed 64 percent of Filipinos approved of Cayetano’s performance, for a net +49 percent approval rating.
This figure, which was already the highest then, had also, in turn, validated previous Pulse Asia surveys”•barely three months under its new leadership.
Salceda said their committee also seeks to improve tax administration by studying structural reforms of the Bureau of Internal Revenue and the Bureau of Customs.
“We will likewise try to raise taxpayer morale by studying digital transformation of the revenue collection agencies. We want to make taxpayer experience seamless taxation. The aim, ultimately, is to encourage tax compliance and deter tax avoidance.”
“With a few tweaks in taxpayer experience, even if we improve compliance by just 1.0 percent of total BIR collections, that is already about P22-billion revenue increase. We can of course do much more,” he stressed.
Salceda said Congress’ most important priority in 2020 will be to pass CITIRA, the single most important economic reform after EDSA.
“I expect the Senate to pass CITIRA within the first two months of 2020. As the first proponent of a governing body for incentives, for me, one of the most crucial aspects of the reform will be the Fiscal Incentives Review Board. No FIRB makes CITIRA meaningless. It’s the people’s seat at the table.”
“Without reform, we will likely hit P500 billion in tax incentives next year, while still making domestic corporations pay the highest tax rates in ASEAN,” he added.
The Albay lawmaker also said he expects the Passive Income and Financial Intermediaries Tax and the Real Property Valuation and Assessment Reform Act to pass in 2020.
PIFITA will unlock the potential of the capital markets and encourage ordinary Filipinos to invest for their future. RPVRA will help complete Build, Build, Build by expediting right of way acquisitions. Both are definitely crucial for growth.
“As House Ways and Means Committee chair, we have set three goals to achieve by 2022—an A-level credit rating, 7-9 percent GDP growth and an upper middle income nation that underpins a safe and comfortable life for all. We will work tirelessly to achieve these goals.”
“Overall, our Committee will continue as the beating, working heart of Dutertenomics. At this point, we are already on track to becoming the most productive Committee on Ways and Means post-EDSA, if not ever in the country’s history,” he stressed.
Salceda said the high ratings Speaker Cayetano and the House leadership have earned simply indicate that they have effectively communicated their nation-building mandate and mission to their constituencies both local and national.
He assured that the House, through its committees and leaders, are committed to step up to the new era of the House of Representatives which now also stands for ‘House for Reforms.’
“Trusted by my colleagues to chair the House Ways and Means Committee, I am also privileged to be at the driver’s seat of this rocket ship of reforms for the people,” he added.