BIR chief no show in dialogue with sugar leaders in Bacolod
By RAGIE MAE TANO-ARELLANO, ABS-CBN Bacolod | 11/20/2008 11:46 PM
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Sugar leaders in Negros Occidental would have wanted to talk to Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Commissioner Sixto Esquivias IV to shed light on the issue of Advance Value Added Tax (VAT).
It was a no show however for the BIR Commissioner.
A dialogue did take place but only with Deputy Commissioner Nestor Aspe who attended instead.
He told members of media that Esquivias failed to show in the dialogue in Bacolod because there was an emergency meeting that he needs to attend to.
"The heads of bureaus should be present in the Cabinet officials’ meeting about economic issues," said Aspe.
He denied reports that the Commissioner did not come to Bacolod because of pressures being exerted by sugar planters on the issue of Advance VAT.
Negros Occidental Gov. Isidro Zayco, who attended the dialogue, said that the Commissioner should have been present because it is only him who can resolve the issue especially on the opposition of the sugar cooperatives on the Advance VAT on sugar.
" The issue is just simple. The sugar cooperatives are only asking BIR to make traders pay the Advance VAT and should not be imposed on them in advance," said Zayco.
A few meters outside the hotel where the dialogue was conducted, protesters against Advance VAT carried with them placards demanding the ouster of BIR Regional Director Rodita Galanto and Finance Secretary Margarito Teves.
They said that the dialogue would not result to positive developments.
