Romualdez: House to fast-track passage of 12 economic measures

Rep. Martin Romualdez. INQUIRER file photo

MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives will expedite the passage of 12 economic measures after these were included in the list of bills prioritized for floor and committee deliberations.

House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez on Tuesday said the 12 measures will help the Duterte administration jumpstart the economy and mitigate the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

Five of the 12 economic measures remain under a period of interpellations in plenary while seven are in various stages of deliberation at the committee level.

“I have explicit instructions from Speaker Lord Allan Velasco. We have to prioritize these 12 bills that were endorsed by Secretary Sonny Dominguez as part of the legislative priorities of the Department of Finance,” Romualdez said in a statement.

“These legislative imperatives, according to Secretary Dominguez, are needed to help ensure that the economy recovers quickly from the corona-induced crisis in a strong, sustainable, and resilient manner,” Romualdez he added.

The five measures still under plenary deliberation are:

• House Bill (HB) No. 7749 or the Government Financial Institutions Unified Initiatives to Distressed Enterprises for Economic Recovery (GUIDE)
• HB 7425 or the Digital Transactions Value Added Tax
• HB 7406 or Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) Modernization Program
• HB 6135 or Fiscal Mining Regime
• HB 7425 or Internet Transactions Act/E-Commerce Law).

Pending under committee deliberations are:

• the Military and Uniformed Personnel (MUP) Services Separation, Retirement, and Pension Bill
• Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Modernization Bill
• Coconut Farmers Trust Fund Bill
• Department of Water Resources and Water Regulatory Commission Bill
• Warehouse Receipts Bill
• National Disease Prevention and Management Authority Bill
• National Land Use Bill

“I have no doubt that the House of Representatives will be able to pass all these measures before the onset of the election fever next year,” Romualdez said.

“We are committed to helping our economic managers set in place the bold reforms that the Duterte administration has started to keep the economy strong and resilient,” he added.

JPV