Last week, congressmen reportedly gave up on their bid for tax cuts after repeated indications of opposition from Malacañang. We can hardly accuse Congress of not trying, with not less than 10 bills filed proposing tax reform. Various versions of these bills have appeared and been discussed in due course. Not one of them has been approved by the President.
THE METROPOLITAN Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) held off on Friday naming the winning bidder for the P24.4-billion Bulacan Bulk Water Supply Project under the government’s public-private partnership (PPP) program as the implementing agency continues to evaluate the submitted proposals.
DAVAO CITY — The Philippine-flagged vessel that is being considered as an alternative for the delayed roll-on, roll-off (RoRo) ferry service project between Mindanao and Sulawesi could start operations soon if its existing permit is verified to be valid for the route.
AFTER a five-year upswing, office rental rates in Manila entered a period of slowing growth in the second half of the year in anticipation of major new supply in 2016, property consultancy Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) said.
THE GOVERNMENT said Thailand is not complying with rulings issued by the World Trade Organization (WTO) by continuing to impose rules that unfairly place imported cigarettes at a disadvantage.
DAVAO CITY — The Home Development Mutual Fund, known more popularly as Pag-IBIG, is looking at collections of at least P30 billion this year, representing a 7% increase from the P28 billion collected in 2014, the agency’s top official said.
THE PHILIPPINES is expected to ride favorable demographics and rapid growth in global trade to become the 16th largest economy in the world by 2050, according to the Trade Winds report issued by the research arm of Anglo-Chinese bank HSBC.
DAVAO CITY — The International Rubber Research and Development Board (IRRDB) is set to formalize the exchange of 49 rubber clone varieties among its associate institutes following the recent approval by the group’s 19 member countries of the sharing system.
While it is indisputable that taxes are vital to the country’s growth, one of the most unpleasant experiences for a taxpayer is to receive a large and baseless assessment which requires a defense. Those experiencing it for the first time may be filled with fear and panic. Further aggravating a taxpayer’s situation is the fact that during discussions, the tax examiners may continue to insist on their position despite clear and factual evidence to the contrary.
THE DEPARTMENT of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said it will issue a new bid bulletin in response to mounting concerns over the biggest public-private partnership (PPP) project to date — the P122.8-billion Laguna Lakeshore Expressway Dike Project (LLEDP) — including claims the project will cost significantly more than official estimates.