BIR mulls exclusion from Salary Standardization Law

Kim Henares official photo (www.bir.gov)

MANILA – – More efficient workers, better salary.

This is what the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) is aiming for as it bids to get out under the coverage of the Salary Standardization Law.

”This has been on top of mind but we have been concentrating on collecting taxes first,” Internal Revenue Commissioner Kim Jacinto-Henares said.

The agency is instrumental in the government’s bid to implement programs for the poor by providing the necessary funds through increased revenues.

Henares said they “can start thinking about it” but cited because “we want to give better salaries to our people.”

”(We want to have better salaries) so we get better people and we can demand more from them,” she stressed.

Henares explained that aiming to give BIR personnel higher salaries is not an idea they want on impulse.

” It includes some obligation on our part,” she stressed noting that among the moves they have to do is to make sure that the employees will have stricter contracts and stricter performance indicators.

” I always believe (that) if your salary is better, you have to be more accountable,” she said.

The BIR chief also pointed out that seniority on a certain position or tenure in terms of stay in BIR “should be the last” priority in choosing people once the BIR is out of the SSL.

”(It should be based on) performance and meritocracy. If you’re performing well at the same level, then seniority comes in but seniority should not be the gauge,” she added.

The SSL provides for the salary of government employees based on their corresponding positions.