Tax perks pabor sa Bulacan airport ipinababawi

NANAWAGAN ang isang infrastructure-oriented thinktank sa Senado na bawiin ang tax perks na ipinagkaloob ng House of Representatives sa San Miguel Aerocity, Inc.

Nakatakdang talakayin sa Senado sa susunod na linggo ang franchise bill ng naturang airport ngayong linggo.

Sinabi ni Infrawatch PH convenor at dating Kabataan partylist Rep. Terry Ridon, sa panahon ng pandemya na kailangan ng gobyerno ang pera para ipantustos para labanan ang CoVid-19, ang pagkakaloob ng tax perks sa malaking negosyo ay sukdulang kawalan ng lohika at kontra sa tax policy.

“Wala na ngang pera, palulusutin pa natin sa pagbabayad ng buwis ‘yung malalaking negosyo,” aniya.

Giit niya, isang unsolicited proposal ang pagtatayo ng Aerocity ng Paliparan sa Bulacan at hindi hiniling ng gobyerno.

Maayos naman aniya ang mga airport sa Clark, Sangley at NAIA kaya’t nakapagtataka na humihirit ng tax perks ang Aerocity na ngayon lang nangyari sa kasaysayan ng bansa.

“The Bulacan airport is asking for tax exemptions from ‘all kinds of taxes in the books.’”

“During construction and initial operation, Aerocity is seeking exemption from any and all direct and indirect taxes, including income tax and VAT, customs duties and real property taxes, among others. During the remainder of its franchise, it seeks income and real property tax exemption until a competent authority determines that the company has fully recovered its investment cost. What is this, a blank check from government? Anong akala nila sa mga tao, mga tanga?” ani Ridon.

Wala aniyang nakasaad sa House bill kung anong competent authority ang magtatakda kung nabawi na ng Aerocity ang ipinuhanan sa paliparang ipinatayo.

“Tax laws granting incentives provide specific sunset provisions or specific periods on when the tax perks end, and this bill provides nothing of that sort. We are concerned that the exemptions on income and real property taxes can apply for the entire duration of the franchise term, as the competent authority has been undefined, and the airport can simply keep reporting losses throughout its operational life. Parang niloloko naman po natin masyado ang tao pag ganito,” wika ni Ridon.

Agrabyado, ani Ridon, sa Aerocity ang ibang airport operators na pinatawan ng santambak na buwis ng gobyerno.

“Instead of leveling the playing field, government will be complicit in favoring certain business interests. Instead of fair play and competition, we are encouraging market dominance. Let us not mislead the public that other airport operators will benefit from this franchise bill. It is a fundamental tax principle that exemptions are specific to persons to which such exemptions were granted. The exemption will benefit Aerocity alone, no one else.”

Kinuwestiyon ni Ridon ang ipinangangalandakan ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte na pagbuwag sa kapangyarihan ng oligarkiya sa bansa dahil lumalabas na may kinikilingan ang kampanya.

“If government is truly serious in dismantling the oligarchy, there should be no sacred cows. It cannot dismantle one branch of the oligarchy while empowering other oligarchs through tax perks such as this.”

“If not, it will appear that the campaign against the oligarchy is a sham, and plainly a punitive action against powerful families critical of the current administration.

Ipinasara natin ang ABS-CBN dahil sabi ng Pangulo bahagi ito ng oligarkiya, pero ngayon naman pinapaboran natin ang ibang mga oligarko. Parang mali naman yata ‘yun,” pagwawakas ni Ridon. (ROSE NOVENARIO)