MANILA, Philippines – Nagpahayag ng matinding pagtutol si Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III sa panukalang naglalayong magpatupad ng refund mechanism para sa Value Added Tax (VAT) sa mga dayuhang turista.
Ani Pimentel, hindi makikinabang dito ang mga Filipino.
Ang pahayag ng senador ay kasunod ng pag-apruba ng Senado sa ikalawang pagbasa sa Senate Bill 2415 na humihikayat ng refund sa VAT ng mga produktong binili ng mga dayuhan na may transaction value na nasa P3,000 o mahigit.
Bagamat kailangan ang pagpapalago ng turismo sa bansa, sinabi ni Pimentel na ang naturang hakbang ay “misguided and presents significant risks that far outweigh its projected benefits.”
Ayon sa minority leader, ang pagtaas ng tourist arrivals mula 2024 hanggang 2028 ay “merely projections and will come at a cost” sa pamahalaan ng nasa P4 bilyon sa susunod na limang taon.
“Why are we so eager to give away P4 billion of our taxpayers’ money to foreigners, while millions of our own citizens continue to face hardship? Imagine the impact of P4 billion if used properly for our countrymen,” sinabi ni Pimentel.
Ayon pa sa kanya, ang halagang ito ay sapat na para magtayo ng 1,600 bagong silid-aralan, o 138 hanggang 190 kilometro ng sementadong kalsada.
Makasusuporta na rin ang P4 bilyon sa 400,000 college students o 800,000 elementary o high school students sa ilalim ng Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation social aid program ng pamahalaan.
“Let us be clear: this fund comes largely from Filipino taxpayers, and it was never intended to be exhausted for the benefit of foreign tourists… unless we establish a robust mechanism to track actual tourist expenditures and the corresponding VAT paid by them, this proposal remains fundamentally unfair to our kababayans,” ipinunto pa niya.
Bilang pagpapatuloy, sinabi ni Pimentel na kulang ang naturang hakbang para siguruhin na talagang palalaguin nito ang ekonomiya, o ang VAT refunds ay talagang kukunin lamang ng bonafide non-resident tourists na maaari pang magdulot ng “leakages or scams.”
Iginiit niyang ang VAT leakages ay nakaaapekto na sa kasalukuyang Sistema, kung saan sa pag-aaral ng World Bank ay nawawalan ang Pilipinas ng P539 bilyong potensyal na kita dahil sa problemang ito.
Aminado ang Department of Finance na ang VAT collections ng bansa ay nasa 40% lamang.
“If we cannot prevent leakage and abuse in the current system, how can we expect that this new VAT refund program won’t suffer from similar inefficiencies? It’s not difficult to imagine how this measure could become yet another avenue for abuse, allowing unscrupulous individuals to exploit loopholes and siphon away our country’s resources,” ani Pimentel.
“The resources we intend to give back to tourists could be better allocated toward projects that directly uplift our people. We should be focusing on measures that strengthen our tax system, curb leakages, and use public funds efficiently to benefit Filipinos—our primary responsibility as legislators,” pagpapatuloy niya.
Suhestyon ni Pimentel, mas tutukan na lamang ng pamahalaan ang pagpapabuti sa overall experience ng mga turista sa pagpapabuti ng imprastruktura, kaligtasan, pagbiyahe, transportasyon maging ang mga accommodation.
“Tourists will visit our country for its beauty, culture, and hospitality. By investing in the right areas, we will not need VAT refunds to make the Philippines a desirable destination,” anang senador.
“Let us prioritize laws that serve the Filipinos first and foremost. Let us find more meaningful ways to boost our economy without compromising our tax revenues or creating new avenues for abuse,” pagtatapos nito.
Bilang tugon, sinabi ni Senador Sherwin Gatchalian na tutugunan niya ang mga hinaing ni Pimentel sa tamang oras.
“I respect his opinion towards this bill and I respect his views towards the concept that we are proposing and at the proper time, I’ll respond to his turno en contra,” ani Gatchalian. RNT/JGC
