BIR pinagpapaliwanag sa kinanselang Megaworld closure order

NAIS ni House Ways and Means Chair Joey Sarte Salceda (Albay) na magpaliwanag ang Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) sa ginawa nitong kanselasyon sa closure order ng Megaworld Corporation.

“That was a bizarre series of events that leaves us with more questions than answers. Why was the order issued? Why was it cancelled if the order had already been issued? On what grounds can the BIR just do that to one of the largest firms in the country, that is listed publicly besides?” pagtatanong ni Salceda.

Ayon sa mambabatas, nagtanong-tanong siya sa ilang kasamahan sa investment management industry, kung saan inihayag ng mga ito na siniguro ng ilan nilang sources na ‘fake news’ ito.

“ What’s fake news? The closure order issuance? The fact that it was planned? And if it was ‘fake news,’ why is Megaworld now saying that there was some disagreement with the BIR over audit?”anang kongresista.

“The exercise was so arbitrary, with a very strange scheduled press conference. And that does nothing for business confidence – that you can close a publicly listed corporation over an audit disagreement so drastically,” dagdag ni Salceda.

Giit ng mambabatas, dapat na maging mas transparent at mas ‘by-the-book’ ang tax authority ukol sa tax system at pamamaraan ng enforcement.

“We need revenues, for sure, and we need to punish businesses that refuse to pay taxes correctly. But a closure order on the basis of a protest over jurisdiction seems overboard. So, as the Congressional committee chair overseeing tax enforcement, I just want answers,” ani Salceda.

Nais din nitong malaman mula sa Department of Finance, lalo na sa Revenue Operations Group, kung batid nito na mangyayari ito at kung hanggang saan. (ARA ROMERO)