PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. asked the Philippine Congress during his second State of the Nation Address (Sona) Monday, July 24, 2023, to pass at least 12 measures the government needs toward development and progress.
The measures mentioned by Marcos are the following:
1. Tax measures under the government's Medium-Term Fiscal Framework
* Excise tax on single-use plastics
* VAT on digital services
* Rationalization of mining fiscal regime
* Motor vehicle user's charge/road user's tax
* Military and Uniformed Personnel Pension
2. Amendment of the Fisheries Code
3. Amendment of the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act
4. Amendment of the Cooperative Code
5. New Government Procurement Law
6. New Government Auditing Code
7. Anti-financial accounts scamming
8. Tatak-Pinoy (Proudly Filipino) law
9. Blue Economy law
10. Ease of paying taxes
11. LGU income classification
12. The Philippine Immigration Act
"Makikipagtulungan tayo nang mabuti sa Kongreso para sa mga mahahalagang batas na kakailanganin natin sa ating tuloy-tuloy na pag-ahon," he said.
(We will work closely with Congress for the important legislation we will need in our continued progress.)
Marcos said the Fisheries Code, for one, has to be revisited and amended to incorporate and strengthen science-based analysis and determine fisheries areas in the country.
He said this approach will protect both the interests of the country's fisherfolk, as well as the fisheries and aquatic resources.
"To this end, we will seek the support of Congress to amend the Code to guarantee sustainable development of our fisheries sector in harmony with environmental," he said on Monday.
He said in the government's quest for food security, the methods that they are considering and applying now are now more guided by science and the balance of nature, "so that production is both sustainable and responsible, benefiting both this and future generations."
Marcos delivered his second Sona at the Batasang Pambansa Complex in Quezon City around 4 p.m. Monday. (LMY)