POGO
HINDI umano masisisi ang marami na tutulan ang pagbubukas ng Philippine Offshore Gaming Corp., lalo at hindi naman ganun kalaki ang ibinabayad nitong buwis sa gobyerno.
Kaya nais ni House committee on ways and means chairman at Albay Rep. Joey Salceda na ipasa na ng Kongreso ang mas mataas na buwis na sinisingil sa mga ito.
Noong nakaraang taon, P6 bilyon ang buwis na ibinayad ng POGO.
Sa ilalim ng panukala ni Salceda aabot umano sa P45 bilyon kada taon ang kikitain sa mga kompanyang ito.
Sisingilin na ang 5 porsyentong buwis sa gross receipt ang mga POGO at ang kanilang empleyado na tinatayang sumasahod at tumatanggap ng benepisyo na P600,000 kada taon ay papatawan ng 25 porsyentong withholding tax.
“The Senate can adopt my committee’s reform when it resumes session, if we want to increase tax take from POGOs. In the meantime, let’s get them to settle their liabilities, and if they can comply with minimum health standards, we can consider reopening them,” ani Saldeda.
Ayon kay Salceda unti-unti nang nagbubukas ng China na isa sa malaking merkado ng POGO.
“China, the principal market, is beginning to recover from Covid-19, so there is definitely a resumption of demand. That’s free money to fund health care. But PAGCOR and BIR have to be diligent in actually getting the government’s fair share of the revenues,” dagdag pa ng solon.
“Of course, the tax and regulatory agencies will have to make that guarantee that they can enforce. You can even use the question of whether POGOs should be allowed to reopen as an opportunity to collect tax liabilities. We can make granting the permission to reopen conditional on settling existing tax liabilities.”