Maniolas

As the new academic year begins, a welcome development is the recent announcement that the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has relaxed the ruling requirements for the tax exemption of non-stock, non-profit schools. The new BIR Commissioner Caesar A. Dulay issued Revenue Memorandum Order (RMO) No. 44-2016 dated July 25, 2016, which seeks to exclude non-stock, non-profit educational institutions from the coverage of RMO 20-2013, which requires the filing of an application for Tax Exemption Ruling (TER) by all tax-exempt entities, including non-stock, non-profit schools.

DAVAO CITY — A review of mining industry policies and stronger agricultural support are among the items in a wish list contained in a resolution drafted by the business sector at the Mindanao Business Conference (MinBizCon) that ended yesterday in Surigao City.

THE DEPARTMENT of Agriculture (DA) is looking at a “positive” growth for the country’s agriculture in the second half of the year after the contraction seen at end-June, as the office’s head pitched legislative priorities for the sector before the House of Representatives yesterday.

THREE line departments will issue a joint memorandum circular next week urging local government units (LGUs) to streamline their business permits & licensing system (BPLS) to three days in order to make the localities more attractive to commercial investments.

DAVAO CITY — The Davao Region office of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) is aiming to complete the feasibility study for the planned Mindanao Railway System (MRS) by end-September this year following an order to prioritize the project.