LEDAC identifies 12 top priority measures

Thee administration expects Congress to pass its 12 top priority measures by June this year to enable the country bounce back from the coronavirus pandemic, the National Economic and Development Authorty (NEDA) said.

The Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) Executive Committee (ExCom) listed 30 measures in the Common Legislative Agenda (CLA) for the 18th Congress, of which five have already been passed by the legislature.

Acting Socioeconomic Planning Secretary and LEDAC Secretariat Head Karl Kendrick T. Chua said 12 measures were identified as top priorities to be passed by the end of the second regular session in June 2021, while the remaining 13 are targeted to be passed within this year.

Among the priorities in the CLA are the imposing amusement tax on digital platform and offshore betting stations of licensed cockpits or “sabong” as well as the establishment of the tax regime of Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGO).

Other top priority measures are the government financial institutions unified initiatives to distressed enterprises for economic recovery (GUIDE) Act, and the package 3 of comprehensive tax reform package (CTRP) or the valuation reform act.

Likewise, Congress is expected to pass the package 4 of CTRP or the passive income and financial intermediary taxation act (PIFITA), as well as amend the public service act, retail trade liberalization act and foreign investments act.

LEDAC also wants the rural agricultural and fisheries development financing system act (Agri-Agra) to be passed into law, as well as the creation of a medical reserve corps and a disease prevention and control authority.

The Duterte administration also expects Congress to pass a bill strengthening the local government participation in national development by increasing the share of local government units in the national internal revenue taxes.

“These bills are crucial in ensuring the country’s economic recovery and in regaining our development trajectory that was held back by the COVID-19 pandemic,” Chua said in a statement.

“We will continue working with Congress to move the legislative agenda forward and enact these priority legislations within 2021,” he added.