BIR chief goes on medical leave

MANILA, Philippines – Only about two months in office, Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Commissioner Caesar Dulay has gone on leave for medical reasons, but is expected to return to work later this month.

This was bared during the House ways and means committee hearing yesterday tackling re-filed tax reform bills.

“May I ask where is the commissioner?” Nueva Ecija Rep. Estrellita Suansing told BIR officials present at the hearing.

In response, deputy commissioner Nestor Valeroso said: “He is currently on medical leave, but we understand he will return by the end of the month.”

“He underwent an operation, but he is already recuperating,” he added.

Suansing called the committee’s attention on Dulay’s apparent persistent absence at congressional hearings, which started at last week’s organizational committee meeting.

Dulay was last present at the briefing of the Development and Budget Coordinating Committee at the Senate two weeks ago.

Asked later on what prompted the BIR chief to go on leave, Valeroso first declined to say what he characterized as “personal matter” before he admitted Dulay underwent a hip operation.”

Aside from Valeroso, who was appointed officer-in-charge, Dulay was represented by deputy commissioners Jesus Clint Aranas, Celia King and Lanee David in yesterday’s hearing.

During the hearing, BIR and its mother agency, the Department of Finance, were asked how they intend to run after self-employed and professionals which only account for 14 percent of total revenues.

The figure has consistently gone down from 34 percent in the 1980s to only around a fifth in the 1990s, DOF data showed.

One problem raised by the congressmen was the more than 230,000 professionals registered with the BIR as of 2014, which they said were too small.

“We are consistently looking into that. In fact, BIR and PRC (Professional Regulation Commission) has an agreement to reconcile our records,” Valeroso said.

Both agencies were also asked about plans to increase oil excise taxes as an offsetting measure over plans to lower personal and corporate income tax rates, which may impact the poor.

To this, Finance Undersecretary Karl Kendrick Chua said oil prices have gone down in previous years and that “60 percent of those who use oil are the rich people.”

BIR is the government’s main revenue agency, accounting for around 80 percent of tax revenues.