fiscal policy
Debt benefits
January 22, 2022
The national government deficit and debt are historically large amounts and so easy to raise alarms about. But if current borrowing is used productively, this debt burden is actually not necessarily unmanageable.
2022 budget stalls recovery, worsens inequality
August 23, 2021
Government’s proposed 2022 national budget is the second budget in a row that fails to respond to the pandemic. The Duterte administration is not spending enough on economic stimulus, health, ayuda, and small businesses which are the most important things to recover quickly and stop worsening deprivation. The economic managers’ misguided fiscal conservatism is counterproductive and needs urgent correction.
Bigger, Bolder Response Needed for Genuine Recovery
March 23, 2021
Tax ‘reform’ program burdens poor more than the rich–IBON
July 30, 2017
Research group IBON said that Pres. Rodrigo Duterte’s State of the Nation (SONA) statement that “we achieved the first step towards more equitable taxes” is incorrect because the poorest majority of Filipinos will be more burdened by taxes than the rich. The Department of Finance (DOF) is covering this up, the group also said. According […]
Fuel excise tax more burden than boon for poor — IBON
January 9, 2017
Research group IBON said that the fuel excise tax being pushed by President Duterte’s economic managers will increase taxes on already burdened poor and low income wage earners. The group said that the Duterte administration should redesign the tax system to tax the richest who have the huge ability to pay more and relieve […]
DOF tax reforms relieve rich while burdening poor–IBON
September 5, 2016
Research group IBON said that the Department of Finance’s (DOF) proposed tax reform program relieves the rich and burdens the poor. The group said that this will worsen inequality in the country and should be replaced by a tax program that taxes the rich instead and is backed with the required political will. The DOF […]
TAX GANERN! DOF’s Tax Reforms Tax the Poor and Relieve the Rich (Part 1)
September 2, 2016
by Sonny Africa (First of Two Parts) The Department of Finance (DOF) will submit a tax policy reform program to Congress in September. The administration’s economic managers are using Pres. Rodrigo Duterte’s current popularity to push an unpopular pro-rich neoliberal tax agenda. The proposed program lowers the tax burden on the rich and on big […]
