Nanawagan si House Committee on Ways and Means chairman Joey Sarte Salceda kay Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte na bumuo ng wage subsidy schemes para sa mga napapabilang sa middle class.
Sa kanyang liham kay Pangulong Duterte, sinabi ni Salceda na aabot sa P45 billion ang kailangan na pondo para sa wage subsidy scheme na tatawagin bilang Payroll Support for Workers, Entrepreneurs, and Self-employed (PSWES) program.
Tinatayang 5.98 million manggagawa mula sa small and medium enterprises, sole entrepreneurs, at freelancers ang makikinabang sa programang ito matapos na maapektuhan din ng anim na linggong enhanced community quarantine.
“We will need these enterprises to operate, so it’s essential for the economy and for job preservation that we lend them a helping hand,” ani Salceda.
Sa kanyang rekomendasyon, 1/4 o 1/3 ng average monthly minimum wage na nasa P9,500 ang ibibigay sa loob ng dalawang buwan.
Ibibigay aniya ang halagang ito sa pamamagitan ng Social Security System (SSS), katuwang ang Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) at Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) para sa formal economy workers.
Para naman sa mga freelancers, inirekominda ni Salceda ang pagkakaroon ng open-application window tulad ng COVID-19 Adjustment Measures Program (CAMP) ng DOLE.
“I’m also proposing that we couple the open-application process for freelancers with cost-free BIR and SSS registration. That way, they are able to see the full benefits of being accredited with the state, while also being able to contribute in future years when they are in better conditions. Kumbaga, bigyan kita ng tulong ngayon, para kapag nakaluwag-luwag ka na, makatulong ka rin sa iba. We will need to expand the tax base when this situation normalizes. I think this will be a big part of that effort,” dagdag pa nito.
