Independent senatorial candidate Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson wants additional incentives for local government units (LGUs) to improve their local tax collection while giving more opportunities for local businesses to grow.
Lacson, who spoke at the flag-raising ceremony of the Quezon City government early Monday, also said this should go hand in hand with good governance and fighting corruption.
“I am considering including in my priority legislation the adding of incentives for local governments like Quezon City, so they will be motivated further to facilitate businesses and make things easier for small entrepreneurs, while further improving tax collection,” he said in Filipino.
Related: Ping Lacson, Isinulong ang Dagdag na Insentibo para sa Mga LGUs para Paigtingin ang Koleksyon at Serbisyo
He said one possible way to do this is to appropriate an amount in the national budget for an LGU’s local development plans, based on its contribution to the national tax collection.
The added appropriation for the LGU’s local development plans will allow it to further spur economic development through infrastructure development and livelihood programs, he said.
In the case of Quezon City, Lacson noted its Gross Domestic Product for 2023 was at P1.27 trillion, and the city government’s collections from Value-Added Tax may amount to P152 billion.
Lacson said that if the added appropriations in the budget would amount to even only one percent of the city’s VAT collection, this would easily reach P1.5 billion for its local development plans.
“The LGUs would be motivated to establish more services and businesses,” he said.
“Of course the appropriation will vary for each LGU but we need to incentivize. This is not new to me because I have always been a strong advocate of LGU empowerment through the national budget,” he added.
He noted only 20 to 25 percent of local development plans proposed by LGUs are given appropriations from the regular budget of the General Appropriations Act (GAA). Even the LGUs’ 40-percent share from the automatically appropriated internal revenue allotment (IRA) is not compliant with provisions of existing laws, he added.
Yet, he noted despite the small appropriations they get, the LGUs form the backbone of our economy.
Meanwhile, Lacson also stressed the importance of fighting corruption on the part of LGUs. He lauded Vice Mayor Gian Sotto for informing him that his and Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte’s battlecry for the city is anti-corruption – which aligns with his principles.
“The guiding principle my parents gave me, which I have stood by especially since I became a public servant: What is right must be kept right, what is wrong must be set right,” he said.
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Ping Lacson, Isinulong ang Dagdag na Insentibo para sa Mga LGUs para Paigtingin ang Koleksyon at Serbisyo
Isinulong ni independent senatorial candidate Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson ang dagdag na insentibo para sa mga local government units (LGUs) na paigtingin ang local tax collection para mabigyan ng dagdag na oportunidad para sa mga lokal na negosyo.
Ani Lacson, na panauhing pandangal sa flag-raising ceremony ng Quezon City government nitong Lunes ng umaga, ito ay dapat kasabay ng paglaban sa katiwalian.
“Pwedeng isama sa mga priority legislation, kung saan balikan natin ang ating LGUs like Quezon City para ma-further ma-incentivize pa, mabigyan ng bagong incentives at ma-motivate magtayo ng negosyo, huwag pahirapan ang negosyante at mangolekta nang maayos,” aniya.
Isang posibleng paraan para dito ay maglaan ng pondo sa pambansang budget para sa local development plan ng LGU, base sa kanilang ambag sa pambansang tax collection.
Ang dagdag na appropriation para sa local development plan na ito ay maaaring gamitin ng LGU para paigtingin ang economic development sa pamamagitan ng infrastructure development at livelihood programs, aniya.
Sa Quezon City, ipinunto ni Lacson na ang Gross Domestic Product nito para sa 2023 ay P1.27 trilyon, at ang koleksyon nito sa Value-Added Tax ay maaaring umabot ng P152 bilyon.
Kung ang dagdag na pondo sa budget ay aabot ng kahit isang porsyento ng VAT collection ng QC, maaaring ma-appropriate ang P1.5 bilyon para sa local development plans nito.
“Lalo silang magsikap mag-establish ng mga serbisyo at negosyo,” aniya.
“Of course the appropriation will vary for each LGU but we need to incentivize. This is not new to me because I have always been a strong advocate of LGU empowerment through the national budget,” dagdag ni Lacson.
Ikinalungkot ni Lacson na 20 hanggang 25 porsyento lang ng local development plans ng mga LGUs ang nabibigyan ng pondo galing sa regular budget ng General Appropriations Act (GAA). Kahit ang 40-percent share ng LGU mula sa automatically appropriated na internal revenue allotment (IRA) ay hindi sumusunod sa probisyon ng kasalukuyang batas, dagdag niya.
Sa kabila nito, mga LGU pa rin ang sumusuporta sa ating ekonomiya, aniya.
Samantala, iginiit ni Lacson ang kahalagahan ng paglaban ng LGU sa katiwalian. Pinuri niya si Vice Mayor Gian Sotto na nagbanggit sa kanya na ang sigaw ng QC government sa pamumuno ni Mayor Joy Belmonte ay “anti-corruption” – na alinsunod sa kanyang prinsipyo.
“Ang aking panuntunan na ibinigay sa akin ng aking magulang mula ako naging lingkod bayan: Ang tama ay ipaglaban, ang mali ay labanan,” ani Lacson.
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