Umapela si House Committee on Ways and Means chairman Joey Sarte Salceda kay Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte na magpatawag ng special session para maipasa ang mga panukalang batas na magsisindi ulit ng ekonomiya ng bansa sa gitna ng COVID-19 crisis.
Sa isang statement, sinabi ni Salceda na kailangan ang special session sakaling mabigo ang Senado at Kamara na maipasa ang economic recovery plan at ang proposed Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) Act.
“We have to get both of these measures done now. I would of course prefer to have them approved for the President’s signature next week, but if we cannot, the best alternative is a special session,” ani Salceda.
Nakatakdang mag-adjourn sine die ang Kongreso sa susunod na linggo, pero iginiit ni Salceda na kailangan maaprubahan ang economic recovery plan at CREATE pagsapit ng Hunyo para makamit ang ninanais na “V-shaped recovery.”
Ang CREATE ay modified version ng proposed Corporate Income Tax and Incentives Reform Act (CITIRA) na naglalayong bawasan ang corporate income tax sa 25 percent mula sa kasalukuyang 30 percent.
Iginiit ng kongresista na balak ng Kamara na aprubahan ang kanilang stimulus recovery program bago ang adjournment ng Kongreso, at nagawa na rin aniya nila ang kanilang trabaho sa pag-apruba sa CITIRA Bill.
Sa katunayan, ia-adopt na nga lang aniya ng Kamara ang bersyon ng Senado na CREATE sa oras na maaprubahan ito sa darating na Lunes o Martes.
“We have to get both of these measures done now. I would, of course, prefer to have them approved for the President’s signature next week, but if we cannot, the best alternative is a special session,” ani Salceda.
“Our hesitation to do special sessions in the past was due to constituency work. We wanted to take advantage of breaks, in the past, to serve our districts. With the rules that allow us to convene virtually, we can do both constituency work and legislation during the scheduled adjournment. So, Congress would not mind a special session,” dagdag pa nito.
Sa kanyang tantya, aabot na sa US$12 billion na foreign investments ang nawala dahil sa dalawang taon na delay sa approval ng CITIRA Bill.
Bukod dito, aabot naman sa P100 billion ang nawawala kada linggo sa delay naman sa pagkakapasa ng isang economic recovery plan.
“At that rate, hindi na po kayang palagpasin pa hanggang July. June is the time to get them enacted into law, so that we can still reap the benefits in the second half. Kami po sa House, we are confident that if we have to, we can get both approved by June 3. If the Senate cannot, the President should extend the session and not terminate until they get both passed,” saad ng kongresista.
