• Budget chief confident of CTRP passage
The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) yesterday underscored the urgency of passing all remaining packages of the Comprehensive Tax Reform Program (CTRP) within the year or before the election season starts in 2019.
During the Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum yesterday, Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno expressed optimism that Packages 1B, 2, 2 Plus, 3 and 4 would be approved by the Congress this 2018.
“We are optimistic that all packages... will be passed before the end of the year. Otherwise, you can say goodbye to it. It’s either this year or forget it because 2019 is an election year,” Diokno said.
Diokno said that bills concerning taxes may not be prioritized by lawmakers if it is delayed until next year as they are “unpopular” during election season.
Should the packages not be passed within the year, Diokno warned that the other CTRP packages may be delayed and resubmitted under the next Congress.
“If they are not passed this year, we will refile it under a new Congress,” he said.
Meanwhile, the budget chief also expressed confidence that the Senate would approve Package 2 despite lack of support from senators.
“They are part of the administration. It is their responsibility to respond to the demands of the President. It has been made clear he wants all tax reform packages passed before the end of the year,” Diokno said.
Diokno added the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) would be convened soon to determine the priority legislative bills for the rest of the year.
The Duterte administration is undertaking a Comprehensive Tax Reform Program, which involves five tax reform packages in total.
Package 1 of the CTRP is contained in the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law, which was enacted December last year and implemented starting Jan. 1.
Meanwhile, Package 1B, which contains a proposed tax amnesty program, amendments to the Bank Secrecy Law, and adjustments to the motor vehicle users charge, is pending in Congress.