Friday, July 09, 2004 Cabinet prays for equal budget
MANILA -- Cabinet members burdened by the problem of lack of funds Thursday prayed for a balanced budget after six years, new tax laws, and for government workers to stop asking for more benefits.
Budget Secretary Emilia Boncodin led the prayer during Thursday's Cabinet meeting.
Boncodin, in her prayer, led the Cabinet primarily in seeking divine help in ensuring a balanced budget by 2009, one of President Arroyo's targets in her 10-point agenda.
She also asked for perseverance and creativity for all Cabinet members "that we may all successfully find ways to live within our small budget allocations and still deliver results expected of our agencies."
She prayed for enlightenment for lawmakers "that they may see the light towards passing the new revenue measures we badly need and refrain from passing new spending laws we cannot fund."
She asked for "understanding" from government officials and employees "that they always ask for increases in benefits at the expense of service to the general public."
She also asked for goodwill from the people, "that they may pay their taxes honestly and not expect dole-outs from government all the time."
Also in the Cabinet meeting, deputy Presidential spokesman Ricardo Saludo said there was no animosity between outgoing Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman and Vice President Noli de Castro, who will succeed her.
Saludo said Soliman was "very animated and participated in the Cabinet meeting" and spoke with de Castro a couple of times. He said de Castro was "very active" in the discussions.
He said Boncodin's prayer was a "good start" for the Cabinet meeting because they started happy.
Economic Planning Secretary Romulo Neri defended Malacaņang's proposed gross income taxation (GIT) system against the objections of the International Monetary Fund.
"Maybe they are just opposed to it in principle because they may not have defined it well enough because I think the thrust here is the modified GIT which has to be defined further," Neri said.
He said the idea is to reduce abuses in deductions because many rich families charge their luxury expenses such as foreign trips and children's parties to their corporate accounts.
"In effect, the state, to the extent of about 30 per cent to 35 per cent is subsidizing the luxurious lifestyles of some executives and rich families. That's what we want to close. That's money out of education, health, and infrastructure," he said.
He said the IMF may find the GIT more to its liking once the deductibles and non-deductibles are clearly defined. Government hopes to raise P38 billion in revenues from the GIT system. JMR
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