VP Candidate Bats For VAT Share For LGUs

Local Government Units (LGUs ) should have a share of the VAT or value added taxes and that they be allowed to design their own infrastructure program, and not Imperial Manila, according to vice presidential hopeful Congressman Lito Atienza.

Photo Insert: Marikina City has been a model LGU of good governance in the Philippines.

Atienza unveiled the program of government that the camp of presidential aspirant Manny Pacquiao in a Balitaan sa Maynila forum where he also bared that should the party win, the development of Mindanao will be pursued without let-up, citing that previous administrations have not given much attention to Mindanao's economic promise.

Since Pacquiao is from Mindanao, he has made the program for a renaissance in Mindanao as part of their economic platform that includes the development of the micro, small and medium enterprises which account for 70 percent of job creations.

He said that the Pacquiao-Atienza tandem, should it win the elections next year, will push for the full development of Mindanao.

Also, the grant of VAT shares to local government units will redound to the benefits of the countryside since the focus of previous administrations on Imperial Manila dictating the pace of development in the provinces is not conducive to economic development.

He said that the Public Works Secretary, for instance, plans the program for infra development from Manila when what is needed is for the governors and the mayors to craft their own development plans as they know what projects to pursue.

Atienza, a former mayor for three terms in Manila, said that the Philippines has vast natural resources that it could turn into economic boom places with the right government thrust such as letting the LGUs have the final word on infra development aside from giving them access to the VAT collections.

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