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Texters to Join Taxpayers' Revolt over New Revenue Measures
by TXTPower
Saturday, Jul. 17, 2004 at 8:00 AM
“The government’s continued failure to curb
corruption, waste, inefficiency and
misprioritization of resources compounded by the most stupid suggestions from the so-called bright minds in the IMF and the finance department –these are conditions that may spark a taxpayers’ revolt,” predicted Anthony Ian Cruz, a co-founder/convenor of the TXTPower.
TXTPower, the recognized voice of citizens of the
world’s text messaging capital, today vowed to
join, if not initiate, a taxpayers’ revolt over
the proposed new text and the other revenue
measures prescribed by the International Monetary
Fund.
“The government’s continued failure to curb
corruption, waste, inefficiency and
misprioritization of resources compounded by the
most stupid suggestions from the so-called bright
minds in the IMF and the finance department –
these are conditions that may spark a taxpayers’
revolt,” predicted Anthony Ian Cruz, a co-founder/
convenor of the TXTPower.
Cruz said that the “real culprits behind the
fiscal crisis are being left out and we would be
fried by double, nay, triple taxation in what is
shaping as the most uncreative solutions to
today’s economic problems.”
According to TXTPower, mobile phone users in the
Philippines already pay at least two taxes – 10
percent VAT and 10 percent overseas
communications tax – be they on postpaid or
prepaid plans.
Cruz lambasted proponents of the new text tax for
claiming that “texting” is just a nonsensical
waste of money as their primary rationale for
proposing the new state exaction. “Far from it,
texting has become a necessity and a very
affordable way of keeping Filipino families,
workmates and friends in close touch.”
He accused the multilateral financial institution
of pushing the new revenue measures, including
the new text tax, “as a means of ensuring that
the very corrupt government would have enough
funds to pay fraudulent and onerous obligations
to the IMF.”
“Never mind if the government continues to lose
money on corruption or inefficient tax collection
or generous tax breaks for multinational
companies reaching hundreds of billions of pesos
in the last five years or that Filipinos can no
longer shoulder new economic burdens. For the
IMF, its always the foreign debt,” said Cruz.
TXTPower suggested that the government implement
a cap on debt payments and to reduce
non-productive spending on such items as
intelligence, military modernization and
unaccountable, secret funds allocated for the
President.
Cruz said that the government should also do away
with the generous tax breaks and tax rebates
given to multinational companies.
“Each year, the government gives back tens of
billions of pesos to these big, profitable
companies while ordinary taxpayers shell out huge
chunks of their meager incomes for various taxes.
Its just unfair,” said Cruz.
“The government would do well in asking the Top
1000 Corporations to each donate even just one
percent of their total net income to the
government to finance new schoolhouses, hospitals
and affordable housing for the poor,” he said.
“This is on top of their prompt payment of their
correct taxes.”
Another counter-suggestion is to impose a Luxury
Tax on the purchase of second or third
multimillion-peso mansions or houses, ranches,
golf course shares, yachts, private planes and
other luxuries.
“At a time of grave economic crisis, such
displays of exorbitant living should be taxed
heavily by the government. The common folk
meanwhile should be spared,” Cruz said.
TXTPower has started an online/e-mail petition
against the new text tax.
The group also vowed to lobby Congress wants it
opens its session and to appear before House
committees to oppose the new revenue measures.
It is also planning demonstrations at the Batasan
Complex, the IMF resident representative office
at the Central Bank, the Department of Finance
and the Bureau of Internal Revenue as well as the
offices of well-known big corporate tax evaders.
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