Government agencies should provide the necessary interventions to raise the skills of online sellers by providing virtual trainings on essential and entrepreneurial skills to help their new ventures become successful enterprises.
As the Bureau of Internal Revenue eased requirements to encourage online sellers to register due to mounting calls, Sen. Joel Villanueva said empowering people to help them fend for themselves should be the government’s priority while it continues to address the impact of COVID-19 in the country.
“What the government must do is to provide enough online resources so they can upgrade their entrepreneurial skills and be knowledgeable in proper handling and storage of food, and financial management, among others, to make their businesses sustainable,” said Villanueva, who chairs the Senate Committee on Labor, Employment, and Human Resource Development.
While self-employed individuals earning P250,000 and below are exempted from income tax, Villanueva said online sellers, especially those who do not have a background on bookkeeping, might need to tap someone familiar with the periodic filings, thus entailing additional administrative cost.
In addition, while Villanueva welcomed the BIR’s decision on Friday to waive the requirement on obtaining a mayor’s permit to encourage registration of online sellers, they still need to register with either the Department of Trade and Industry for sole proprietors or the Securities and Exchange Commission for corporations.
Villanueva said that given the unemployment situation, people are resorting to the means available to them so they can survive.