BIR to go after Indian money lenders to hike tax take

KIDAPAWAN CITY, Philippines—The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) plans to go after Indian nationals involved in money lending activities but admitted that it would not be easy to collect taxes from them.

Venerando Homez, revenue district officer, said at least a dozen Indian nationals were suspected of involvement in money lending activities, mostly to small entrepreneurs here.

Homez said they were certain the Indian nationals were not paying taxes and did not have business permits.

At least a dozen Indian nationals lending capital to small business establishments, particularly restaurants, sari-sari stores and vegetable vendors can be seen roaming around the major thoroughfares in the afternoon to collect the daily payments from the debtors, he said.

But Homez said their problem was how to build up cases against these Indian nationals.

“Only the Economic Intelligence Investigation Bureau (EIIB) based in the BIR main office has the authority to reprimand or invite foreign money lenders operating in various places in the country,” he said.

The problem was that this office has been dissolved, Homez said.

The only recourse, Homez said, was for the BIR to get the testimonies of those who had borrowed money from the Indian money lenders.

“We will be facing a difficult task but we will do our best to run after these Indian nationals in Kidapawan and other towns in North Cotabato,” Homez said.

In Davao City, Vice Mayor Rodrigo Duterte urged Indian nationals to follow the law if they want to stay in the country.

Earlier, Indian nationals there had complained of arrest by immigration agents.

“It’s the right of the country to protect itself against undesirable aliens, so my advice to you is just follow the law and you”ll be safe,” Duterte said.

It was not clear how many Indian nationals live in Davao City.

Even the Bureau of Immigration admitted it was having difficulty in determining their real number because some of them reportedly entered the country through the backdoor.

“There have been reports that some of them entered the country through  Sabah and they remain unaccounted for,  hence, the raids in the past weeks,” Duterte said. Williamor Magbanua and Germelina Lacorte, Inquirer Mindanao