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Tuesday, January 10, 2006
Espinoza: Truth and transparency
By Fred C. Espinoza
Weaning. I was a bit confused when I came across a picture of the President in the newspaper showing the price tag of P18 kg National Food Authority rice, with the assistance of Environment Secretary Michael Defensor, during the launching of Tindahang Pinoy in Quezon City.
Arroyo’s pronouncement on the first working day of 2006 was the release of $674 million or P36 billion from government’s savings to subsidize selected food items and finance projects for the poor in her fight against poverty, hunger and unemployment.
At the back of my mind, however, is the thought that she could have delegated this task to the secretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development, since there are many important things in her administration that needed presidential attention.
Many agree that the President is still in a better position to wean the people from petty politics by getting the truth and facts together before making any pronouncement to keep things in the government clear to the people, and thus promote better understanding on government programs and policies.
A case in point is the income tax exemption for minimum wage earners. President Arroyo had promised to the workers to help them cope with the rising cost of essential goods and services by exempting them from the payment of income tax with the implementation of the two-percent increase in expanded value-added tax starting next month.
Unfortunately, however, it has come to a point that such a good offer from the President has turned into a source of criticism from the labor front.
The Alliance of Progressive Labor has criticized the Arroyo government for allegedly deceiving the workers when they realized that the promised tax exemption for minimum wage earners will take effect next year, not next month, as what they were made to understand in the beginning.
It would have been better if the President had told the workers about the real score, so to speak, that although she is all for the proposal, the facts indicate that it would be impossible for the President to implement her promise next month because it would require an amendment of a law.
On top of that, the guidelines on the income tax exemption scheme have to be prepared by the Department of Finance and the Bureau of Internal Revenue before it can be implemented. This way, she could have spared herself from any embarrassment.
TRANSPARENCY. How I wish the Palace would be more circumspect in portraying the actual state of the nation’s economy in the weeks ahead.
To my mind, a more transparent assessment we can bet with our life is the one recently made by Finance Secretary Margarito Teves that the government needs “one good year”—with less politics and more reforms—for the economy to finally take off.
While the government’s image in the international community has improved because of fiscal reforms, Teves said it will help if political tension is reduced. He further said, “we need at least one more good year to totally overcome our obstacles.”
I could almost sense the urgent need for the administration to embark on a consistent, transparent and well thought-out plan to help reduce political tension in the country, rather than be content with merely back-patting by Palace drumbeaters amidst the improving fiscal situation in the country.
The only way many people expect to see ahead is for the President to improve transparency in her administration to promote better rapport with all sectors in society as a means of weaning the people from petty politics. If the President is really serious about convening the Council of State, why doesn’t she strive hard to announce a complete plan for the Jan. 4 meet so that the people will know where she stands?
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (January 10, 2006 issue)
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