Local and foreign business groups called on lawmakers to pass the remaining priority economic reform bills within the remaining two weeks of 18th Congress.
The appeal was contained in letters sent to leaders of the House of Representatives and the Senate, a statement from the Philippine business groups and foreign chambers said.
The groups urged the passage of the following bills that have passed the House and just require counterpart action in the Senate: Ease of Paying Taxes; Open Access in Data Transmission; Philippine Creative Industries; Promotion of Digital Payments; Tax Reform Package 3 on Property Valuation and Assessment Reform; and Tax Reform Package 4 on Passive Income and Financial Intermediary Taxation.
The groups also expressed hope for the ratification of the reconciled version of the following bills that are currently under Bicameral Conference Committee deliberation: creation of the Philippine Transportation Safety Board and the Rural Agricultural and Fisheries Development Financing System Act.
In the letter sent to the Senate, the groups also strongly encouraged the ratification of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership agreement.
The groups nevertheless commended Congress for the enactment of landmark legislation such as the Electric Vehicles and Charging Stations Act, and the amendments to the Public Service Act, Retail Trade Liberalization Act, and Foreign Investments Act Signatories to the letters are: American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines; Australian-New Zealand Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines; Bankers Association of the Philippines; Canadian Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines; European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines; Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines; IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines; Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Philippines Inc.; Korean Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines Inc.; Makati Business Club; Management Association of the Philippines; Philippine Association of Multinational Companies Regional Headquarters Inc. and; Semiconductor and Electronics Industries in the Philippines Foundation Inc. – Irma Isip
