(NI NOEL ABUEL)

IIMBESTIGAHAN ng Senado ang sinasabing mga hindi nakolektang buwis mula sa mga registered at unregistered foreign workers at sa Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) industry ng mga Chinese workers.

Sa inihaing Senate Resolution no. 89 ni Senador Sherwin Gatchalian, nais nitong matiyak na mahusay na naiimplementa ang Philippine tax, immigration at labor laws sa mga dayuhang manggagawa sa buong bansa.

Giit ng senador, nakababahala na aabot sa 130,000 Chinese workers na nagtatrabaho sa POGOs ang hindi nagbabayad ng kaukulang buwis kung kaya’t dapat na seryosohin ang imbestigasyon dito upang malaman kung sino ang dapat na managot.

“There is a need to review our capability and enhance our capacity to enforce our tax, immigration, and labor laws to balance the protection we need to accord our people vis-a-vis to the contribution of industries and foreign workers to the country’s economic growth,” ani Gatchalian.

Aniya, base sa pagtataya ng Department of Finance (DOF) nawawala sa kaban ng bayan ang P22.5 bilyon kada taon mula sa hindi nakokolektang buwis.

Habang ayon sa Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), tinatayang nasa P18,750, at buwis mula sa allowances at fringe benefits, ang hindi nakokolekta  sa bawat foreign worker kada buwan.

Noong nakaraang buwan aniya, ay nakakolekta ang BIR ng P200 milyon mula sa mga dayuhan na karamihan ay Chinese workers na nagtatrabaho sa POGO sector.

“It is imperative for the Senate to conduct an assessment and careful analysis to determine how these tax collection agencies can better perform their functions prior to introducing another set of laws which these agencies may have difficulty implementing,” ayon sa senador.

“It is also the Senate’s duty to review policies set forth by the Executive as it annually deliberates on the government’s expenditure plan, which is affected by the projected tax revenues and other macroeconomic fundamental assumptions,” dagdag pa ni Gatchalian.