Senator Win Gatchalian has urged the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to launch a crackdown on mulcting government officials and personnel victimizing large corporations and small businesses.
The senator also called for a clampdown against erring officials and employees of revenue collection agencies, stating his stand that instead of introducing new taxes to fund services and address the country’s P12.763 trillion debt as of April, it is more efficient to improve tax collection and fight corruption in the government.
He cited a recent series of reports on alleged extortion cases involving BIR personnel in Ilocos Sur, Dipolog City and Zamboanga City, as well as the purported “pabaon” scheme of some outgoing officials of the agency.
A drastic approach is needed to carry out an internal cleansing of the bureaucracy to rid government agencies of rotten eggs, Gatchalian stressed.
A similar campaign was launched by the BIR at the onset of the Duterte administration, resulting in the resignation and early retirement of hundreds of BIR employees.
The deluge of resignations was in response to the call against those involved in corruption activities.
“If there’s political will, we can improve tax collection, build taxpayers’ trust in government and ensure increased revenue. People are willing to pay when they know that their taxes are well spent on services due them,” Gatchalian said.