SONA 2018 PROMISE TRACKER: Economy

PROMISE: Pass Tax Reform Package 2 in 2018

“I hope to sign Package 2 before the year ends. I urge Congress to pass it in a form that satisfies our goals and serves the interests of the many, not just the wealthy few.” (SONA 2018)

“On taxation, my administration will pursue tax reforms toward a simpler and more equitable and more efficient tax system that can foster investment and job creation. We will lower personal and corporate income tax rates and relax the Bank Secrecy Law.” (SONA 2016)

The President was not able to sign the Tax Reform for Attracting Better and High-quality Opportunities (TRABAHO) bill, the second package of the CTRP, because the measure failed to reach the bicameral conference committee in Congress.

The measure aims to lower corporate income taxes and modernize incentives given to businesses, in a bid to attract more investors.

The House of Representatives passed House Bill 8083 or its version of the TRABAHO bill in September last year. However, the bill’s Senate counterpart remained at the Ways and Means Committee level until the 17th Congress adjourned.

Apart from the TRABAHO bill, the House also approved CTRP Packages 3 and 4 on its third and final reading.

On the last session of the 17th Congress, both chambers passed one of the proposals for Package 2 Plus, seeking to increase excise taxes on tobacco. The measure is currently up for Duterte’s signature.

The TRABAHO bill, other CTRP packages, and the proposals seeking higher excise taxes on alcohol and government’s share in miners’ revenues, have yet to be re-filed in the 18th Congress.

PROMISE: Remove quantitative restrictions on rice imports

“We are also working on long-term solutions on top of this agenda to lower the price of rice. We need to switch from the current quota system in importing rice to a tariff system where rice can be imported more freely. This will give us additional resources for our farmers, reduce the price of rice by up to seven pesos per kilo, and lower inflation significantly.” (SONA 2018)

Duterte signed Republic Act (RA) 11203 or the Rice Liberalization Act in February. It amends RA 8178 or the Agricultural Tariffication Act of 1996, replacing the quantitative restrictions (QR) on rice with tariffs.

A QR prohibits a country from importing rice beyond a certain volume; the Philippines, since 2012, has been importing rice only up to a maximum of 805,200 metric tons.

Economic managers expect the rice tariffication law to help secure the country’s food supply and bring down the cost of the staple good as it allows more imported rice to enter the market.

However, some research groups like IBON said the measure would disadvantage local farmers and could adversely affect the local rice industry. State-funded think tank Philippine Institute for Development Studies has estimated rice tariffication would reduce local farmers’ income by 29 percent.

PROMISE: Pass the Coconut Farmers’ Trust Fund

The Chief Executive vetoed the Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Bill in February, saying it “may be violative of the Constitution and is lacking in vital safeguards to avoid the repetition of painful mistakes committed in the past.”

In his veto message, Duterte said the bill in its current state “does not reflect [the] ultimate goal of accelerating the full utilization of coco levy assets and funds for the benefit of marginalized coconut farmers and the coconut industry,” but did not elaborate further.

Duterte also vetoed its twin bill, a proposal to reconstitute the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA), because he disagrees with the provision allowing greater farmer representation in the PCA board compared to government representatives.

If signed into law, the Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Bill would have ordered the strengthened PCA to manage the P100 billion in coco levy funds.

The controversial funds were taxes paid by coconut farmers during Martial law, supposedly for their benefit. However, the funds ended up in the hands of Marcos’ cronies, including Eduardo “Danding” Cojuangco, who used the farmers’ taxes to acquire and expand businesses.

In a landmark decision in 2012, the Supreme Court had ruled that these funds must be used only for the benefit of the coconut farmers and for the improvement of the coconut sector.

The Sandiganbanyan affirmed the Supreme Court’s decision last year.

The return of the coco levy funds to farmers was among the President’s campaign promises. He vowed to return them in his first 100 days in office.