Kahilingan na ipagpaliban ang SSS rate hike, pag-aaralan ng Malakanyang

PAG-AARALAN ng Malakanyang ang naging panawagan at kahilingan ng mga business at labor leaders kay Pangulong Rodrigo Roa Duterte na kaagad na magpalabas ng Executive Order (EO) na magpapaliban sa pagtataas sa monthly Social Security System (SSS) contributions ng mga manggagawa at employers.

“Hindi ko alam kung kakayanin ‘yan ng EO kasi ang pinapaliban nila ay ‘yung monthly contribution,” ayon kay Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque.

“Sa tingin ko po pag-aaralan ‘yan ng Ehekutibo dahil ang isyu baka kinakailangan po ng batas,” dagdag na pahyag ni Sec. Roque.

Sa joint letter na may petsang Setyembre 27, sinabi ng mga grupo ng business at labor leaders na ang pagpapalabas ng EO ay kailangan para payagan ang mga nakikipaglabang micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) na maipagpatuloy ang operasyon ng kanilang negosyo at mabigyan ng hanapbuhay sa gitna ng humahabang hamon ng COVID-19 pandemic.

Ang liham ay nilagdaan ng Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP), Philippine Exporters Confederation (PhilExport), Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP), Federation of Free Workers (FFW), Sentro ng mga Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa (Sentro), Partido Manggagawa (PM), Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FFCCCI), Makati Business Club (MBC), at Management Association of the Philippines (MAP).

Pinunto ng mga grupo na ang Republic Act (RA) No. 11548, na tinintahan noong Mayo ngayong taon ay binibigyan ng kapangyarihan ang Pangulo na ipagpaliban ang nakatakdang pagtataas ng SSS premium contributions para sa durasyon o tagal ng deklarasyon ng state of  calamity.

Anila, ang paglagda sa batas ay “positive signal” to employers and employees that “government empathizes with business in its efforts to keep jobs and livelihoods to prevent further economic losses and the resulting social problems.”

“However, four months after the enactment of the law, the Executive Order implementing the Act has yet to be issued, even as the higher SSS premium already took effect last January 2021,” ang nakasaad sa joint letter.

Ang SSS members’ monthly contributions ay itinaas ng 13% sa kanilang kinikita sa pagsisimula ng taon, mas mataas sa kasalukuyang 12% contribution na kinukuha mula sa kanilang sahod.

“It is in this light that we are constrained to write to the President for urgent action on this pending request for the deferment. We have yet to fully reopen and many have already lost their income sources either permanently or temporarily,” ayon sa grupo.

“Postponing the implementation of the higher SSS premium will be a critical recovery measure by helping sustain the cash flow especially of the very vulnerable MSMEs. It will also serve as a very concrete government contribution to the National Employment Recovery Strategy (NERS) program that is implemented with the private sector,” dagdag na pahayag ng mga ito.

Ang liham a nilagdaan nina PCCI president Benedicto Yujuico, ECOP chairman Edgardo Lacson, PhilExport president Sergio Ortiz-Luis Jr., FFCCCI president Henry Lim Bon Liong, chairman of MBC Edgar Chua, at MAP president Aurelio Montinola III.

Ang mga signatory naman na labor leaders sa joint letter ay sina TUCP president Raymond Democrito Mendoza, FFW president Jose Matula, Sentro chairman Daniel Edralin, at PM national chairman Rene Magtubo. (Daris Jose)