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Business Insight
Monday, September 23, 2019

Salary hike, creation of OFW dep't

given pdority in LEDAC meeting
BY WENDELL VIGILIA the salary of all state workers in the House majority leader Martin
next thtee years. Romualdez said that aside from
CONGRESSIONAL leaders and The government is eyeing to SSL 5, the Legislative-Executive
some cabinet sectetaties have - spend at least P110 billion to in- Cootdinating Council (LECC)
agreed to a partial list of measutes crease starte w6ikefs' salaries by an also agreed to the creation of the
that will be pdodtized by the Leg- average of 1 5 petcent to be spread Department of Overseas Filipino
islative Executive Development out in three years or an annual 6ve Workers (OFWs), postponement
Adrisory Council (I-EDAC), which percent increase undet the Salary
includbs the bill seeking to inctease Standardization Law (SSL 5). See SAIARY ) Page 85

, SALARY Senate President Vicente Sotto approved by the Senate and the last Sept. 9; HB 305 ot *re Valua-
III; Senate majority leader Juan House. Hopefully ve can avoid tion Reform Bill [&B), whichwas
of the May 2020 batangay and, Miguel Zubiri; Sens. Christopher any possibility of a Presidential aooroved bv the House corirrnit-
Sangguniang Kabataan (SI! elec- "Bong ' Go and Joel Villanueva; veto by v/orking closely with Cabi ,JJ, o' gouJrrr-.r,, ."org"rri4.l6r,
tiohs to May 2023 and free legal as- Finance Secretary Carlos Domin- net{nembets and Senate of6cials," and on ways and means on Sept.
sistance to membets of the Atmed guez III; Labor Secretary Silves- Deputy speaket Raneo Abu of 10 and Sept. 11, respectir.ely; HB
Fotces of the Philippines (AFP). tre Bello III and acting Budget Batangas said the SSL 5 has been 1026, or the new "sin" tax bill on
The bill seeking to create a Secretary Wendel Avisado. programmed within the organic alcoholic drinks and electronic
separate departmeot for OF\i0s is "Under dre leadership of Speak- capacity of the government "so cigarettes, which was approved on
being heard in the committee level er AIan Peter Cayetano, we are there is no need for additional tax thitd and final reading last Aug 20;
at the House and is expected to be committed to expeditiously act on measure to fund it." and HB 300 or the amendments to
approved in the next hearing these measures. We vrill continue to 'This is in lhe with President Republic Act (RA) No. 7042, also
"Let's vrait the official com- work in harmony with the Senate Duterie's commimrent to improve known as the Foreign Investrneots
munication from the Palace about and Cabinet members," he said, dre life of our civilian state work- Act fIA), which was approved on
the fraal list of priority legislative citing the House's passage of the ers, including teachets and nurses. *rird and final reading on Sept. 9.
measures it would be submitting to P4.1 trillion proposed national At the same time, *ris vrill result in Villafuerte, who is deputy speak-
Congress. These are just the initial budget fot 2020 last Friday. their higher level of prodrictivity to er fot 6nance, is among the au-
list. In the meantime, we agreed to Romualdez said the House lead- public service," he said. thon of the consolidated bills on
pursue these as out common pti- ership is "eyeing the passage of Villafuerte said that in just eight CITIRA, PIFITA, \&B, the oew
ority measures," said Romualdez, dre common legislative measures weeks since the opening of the "Sin" Tax bill and the amendments
who attended the LECC meeting before Congress adjourns this 18th Congress, *re House leadet- to the Foreign Invesmrents Act.
last Monday. December." ship has alteady approved priot- Villafuete appealed to his fellovz
It was the third regular mond y He reiterated that the House ity measures meant to help the lawrnaken in both dramben to pass
meeting to ensure the tlmely pas- leadership is foiging tighter coor- administtation achieve its goal of these refotm mea,sures before yearend
sage of President Duterte's pdority , dination with the Palace and the sustaining economic grovth. to make the corurtry more investor-
measutes, Senate to avoid even a single ptesi- The lawmaker cited the follow- ftiendly, and help offset the testdctions
The LECC, also known as .the dential veto of bills to be approved ing measutes: House Bill (HB) No: undet the Constitution that bar,e been
"mini-LEDAC," holds monthly by the 1 8th Congress. 415'7 ot dte ptoposed Corporate deal-breal<ers for im'estors
meetings in preparation for the "This would smoothen the Income Tax and Incentives Re "We need to telax t}te resttic_
actual LEDAC meetings. process ard avoid tl, e unfortunate form (CITIRA), which was ap- tions in doing business in the coun-
Aside from Romualdez, also expedences of having vetoed proved on third and frnal teadiog try that have become deal bteakers
present in the meeting
were measwe s,especially those d'eclared last Sept. 1 3; HB 304 or the Passive for foreign investors despite the
Speaket Alan Peter Cayetano; as priodty measures by the Execu- Income and Financial Intermedi Philippines' emelgence as one of
deputy speaker Luis Raymond tive," the lawmaker said. 'rWe are ary Act (?IFITA), which was ap- the, fastest-growing economies in
Villafuerte of Camarines Srit; eyeing zero veto for all bills to be ptoved on third and 6nal reading Asia," he said.