Duterte orders Dominguez to lift ‘anti-poor, gender-biased’ taxes

Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez (INQUIRER FILE PHOTO)

MANILA — President Duterte has instructed Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez to lift all taxes considered to be anti-poor and gender-biased, a Palace official said on Tuesday.

Presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella said the Chief Executive raised the matter during the discussion on tax reforms at the Cabinet meeting in Malacañang on Monday.

“The President directed (Dominguez) to take steps to remove tax versions that are anti-poor and gender-biased,” Abella told reporters.

Without elaborating, he said Mr. Duterte wanted “a simplification of the tax reform strategy.”

Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia said the Duterte administration would also remove several products from the scope of the 12-percent value-added tax.

“(These) will all be lifted or be removed from the list and the only ones that will remain would have to do with the raw food, health (products), medicine … and education,” Pernia said.  SFM