Momentum is building behind the government’s tax reform push, but business leaders say the real test lies in turning policy shifts into felt improvements on the ground.
At the Economic Ease of Doing Business (EODB) Forum on Wednesday, February 11, European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP) President Paulo Duarte welcomed ongoing reforms, particularly at the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), while underscoring the need for tangible outcomes.
“In conclusion, we see the reforms that the administration is doing, especially at the BIR, because the question is really on the taxation side,” Duarte said. “But we still have a way to go to make these tangible.”
For investors, he noted, tax clarity and administrative efficiency remain decisive factors.
Tax reform advocate Mon Abrea offered a concrete proposal: set up dedicated Business Enterprises Tax Service (RBETS) desks inside economic zones.
The goal is to bring BIR services closer to investors and locators, easing compliance through accessible, investor-friendly support.
“Why can’t we place RBETS desks inside every ecozone?” Abrea said, acknowledging budget and logistical constraints but suggesting appointment-based, largely digital operations as a workaround.
The pitch dovetails with the administration’s pro-investment stance. “Let’s exactly do what the President said — roll out the red carpet, not the red tape,” he added.
Abrea argued that better service delivery fuels voluntary compliance. “When investors feel respected and assisted, compliance improves naturally, because service builds trust, and trust builds revenue.”
He also cited momentum within the BIR, from risk-based audits to policy reforms, as signs of a listening bureaucracy.
Sustaining that momentum, speakers said, will determine whether reforms translate into higher investments and stronger revenue collection.
