NR1026:Tax measures for tax amnesty

Mula sa Tanggapan ni Anakpawis Rep. Crispin B. Beltran
News Release October 26 , 2004
House of Representatives, South Wing Rm 602
931-6615 Ina Alleco R. Silverio, chief of staff
Email: paggawa@edsamail.com.ph, anakpawis2003@yahoo.com
Celphone number 09213907362
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PGMA wooing private sector's support for her tax bills by promising errant
corporations and tax evaders tax amnesty - Rep. Beltran

Anakpawis Representative Crispin Beltran today said that President Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo's private dinner meeting with Lucio Tan recently should be
considered top-level lobbying, and is only the start of the President's
campaign to gain the private sector's support for her various tax proposals.

"The private sector has no real problem with the tax proposals because once
approved and implemented, they will only pass the taxes on to consumers via
increases in the product prices and related services," he said.

"Pres. Arroyo will clearly stop at nothing to get the approval for her tax
measures to save her corruption-ridden and financially floundering
administration. Her meeting with the likes of Tan who still carries much clout
in the country's business community marks the beginning of more compromises
with big business,and these compromises will be no doubt at the expense of
consumers, taxpayers, and the entire Filipino people," he said. "In exchange
for the support for her new tax measures, President Arroyo has dangled tax
amnesty for big businesses, such as those owned by Tan."

"Tan and the other big business tycoon Pres. Arroyo is keen on courting for her
tax bills are certain to demand amnesties for themselves, as well as other
perks from the government. The administration will turn a blind eye to their
corporate malpractices and abuses in exchange for support for the tax bills."

Beltran said that his opposition to the new tobacco and alcohol taxes was not so
much because he was opposed to taxing alocohol and tobacco products, but because
he is certain of what the business monopolies will be getting in return for
their support for the tax measures.

"It's a quid pro quo deal," Beltran said. "GMA will get her tax measures passed,
the business monopolies who are notorious for not paying their taxes will get
tax amnesty. In short, more taxes for the poor, amnesty for the rich," he said.

The veteran labor leader said that from 1998-2001 alone, the government has lost
85.4 billion annually because of tax evasion. "These delinquent corporations are
being left off the hook while wage and salary workers are not being treated with
leniency and in fact will be subjected to higher taxes," he said.#