Senate CITIRA version to remove investor uncertainty: DTI

MANILA — Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Ramon Lopez said the tax reform bill endorsed by the Senate Ways and Means Committee is a “well-balanced approach” to the corporate tax reform and helps remove the uncertainty of foreign investors.

On February 19, Senator Pia Cayetano sponsored Senate Bill No. 1357, also known as the Corporate Income Tax and Incentives Reform Act (CITIRA).

Cayetano, who heads the committee, is optimistic the Senate would approve the bill on final reading by March 13.

“DTI would like to thank Senator Pia for sponsoring a bill that could create a better investment climate for the greater majority. We think that this is a well-balanced bill that enhances the incentives but will ensure investment performance and efficiencies, with a systematic way of rationalizing incentives,” Lopez in a press conference.

The CITIRA Bill, which seeks to lower income tax rate and modernize the tax incentive system, is a priority bill of President Rodrigo R. Duterte.

“We appreciate this version of the bill, and we hope for the immediate passing of the bill to remove uncertainties and the wait-and-see attitude of investors. We are now pushing for the passage of the bill to resume the growth momentum of the country,” he added.

Since a bill on rationalizing tax incentives was first proposed in 1995, the Department of Finance (DOF) and DTI have urged Congress to finally make this crucial reform happen.

“After a series of consultations and meetings with various members of the government, business community, and academe, and thorough consideration of the sensitivities of key stakeholders, the new bill offers a more reasonable transition period and one that gives recognition to high performing investments such as being 100 percent exportation, or 10,000 jobs created or being in a highly competitive footloose industries,” Lopez said.

Through the CITIRA, the Philippines’ corporate income tax rate will be gradually reduced from 30 percent to 20 percent over the next 10 years, not far from the 17 percent to 25 percent of its neighboring Asean countries.

The bill prioritizes incentives of business activities that generate local employment, promote development, innovation, high technology projects and agribusiness, as well as those that invest in less developed areas or communities recovering from disasters and conflicts.

The incentives provided will be in accordance with the principles based on international good practices to make it performance-based, targeted, time-bound, and transparent. (PR)