Despite its supposed flaws, the "watered down" version of the sin tax bill proposed by Sen. Ralph Recto should be the basis of Senate deliberations on the measure, Senator Franklin Drilon said Tuesday.
?
"I think public interest would dictate that we maintain the committee report and we debate on it and, at the appropriate time, we introduce the amendments which the chamber believes should be done," Drilon, vice chairman of the Senate ways and means committee headed by Recto, told reporters.
?
Recto on Monday resigned as committee chair after receiving criticisms from fellow senators, executive department officials, and health advocates for his 'watered down' version of the measure. He was also accused of conflict of interest, considering his bailiwick Batangas is home to a cigarette factory.
?
The senators decided to refer his resignation to the committee on rules, and discuss the matter in a caucus Tuesday afternoon.
?
The Senate ways and means committee recommended last week a measure that will raise P15 billion to P20 billion in additional tax revenues per year.?
?
The House of Representatives approved its sin tax bill last June, which is expected to raise P31.35 billion in the first year of implementation.
?
Malaca?ang's proposed version, however, pegged the amount at P60 billion per year.
?
Recto offered to withdraw the committee report to give the new committee chair a free hand to craft a new bill.
?
Drilon said the senators believe that the withdrawal of the committee report would need the concurrence of the committee or the plenary.
?
He said Recto's version of the sin tax bill could be amended to adopt a higher revenue target as proposed by the Palace. "That is always a possibility because the period of amendments? even if Senator Recto did not submit his irrevocable resignation? the committee report is subject to amendments on the floor."
?
He said they will try to approve the sin tax bill by mid-November ahead of their approval of the proposed national budget for 2013. ?"Our target is mid-November (but) if worse comes to worst, we can extend it a bit." ? VS, GMA News
ups bachelor pad bachelor pad FedEx Green Coffee Bean Extract the voice september 11
কোন মন্তব্য নেই:
একটি মন্তব্য পোস্ট করুন