No new taxes under Aquino-Roxas admin – Mar

Tax cheats, smugglers priority target to boost revenue

There would be no new taxes until government updates and improves its tax collection, Liberal Party vice presidential candidate Senator Mar Roxas promised under an Aquino-Roxas administration.

Roxas, who has been leading in all pre-election preference surveys conducted by independent polling firms, said imposing new taxes would be the last option for him and Aquino.

“Kolektahin muna natin ang dapat na kolektahin. Ang estimate ngayon ay mahigit sa P200 billion ang hindi nakokolekta, ang naaaksaya (Let’s collect first what is due. The estimate now is about P200 billion which remain uncollected),” he said.

“Bakit naman natin pabibigatin ang buhay ng mga nagbabayad ng buwis samantalang marami ang hindi nakokolekta ng gobyerno natin? Ayusin muna natin ang sistema bago natin isipin iyang mga karagdagang buwis na iyan ((Why should we impose new burdens on our taxpayers when the government is not able to collect everything? Let’s fix the system first before we even think of imposing new taxes),” he added.

Roxas said that under an Aquino-Roxas administration, an in-depth review of existing tax policies would be conducted, massive reforms to improve tax collection would be put in place and a top-to-bottom assessment of the lifestyle of incumbent officials and personnel of revenue-generation agencies, particularly the Bureau of Internal Revenue and the Bureau of Customs, would be initiated.

He warned corrupt officials and government workers would have no place in their administration. He likewise said large companies that would be found guilty of engaging in tax evasion and smuggling activities would be prosecuted and their owners and top officials jailed.

“Wala tayong sasantuhin sa ilalim ng Aquino-Roxas na administrasyon. Lahat ay hahabulin natin at kung sinumang ang magpatunayang nagkasala ay ating papatawan ng kaukulang parusa (No one will get special treatment under an Aquino-Roxas administration. We will pursue anyone who will violate the law and impose the proper punishment or penalty),” Roxas vowed.

He lamented that the government has lost hundreds of millions of pesos in tariffs and revenues due to the leniency given by corrupt government officials to big-time tax evaders and smugglers.