STATE auditors reported that the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) failed to complete 24 research projects worth P81 million due to “unanticipated delays” encountered from other government agencies.

THE pork industry blamed the high retail prices of pork on the reduced hog population due to the outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF) in Luzon since September, and raised the prospect of further supply erosion as producers claim they can’t make money at the current suggested retail price (SRP) settings.

GOVERNMENT registration for online businesses is necessary to regulate the industry and protect consumers, and comes with benefits like incentives, subsidies, and tax breaks, a legislator said.

FITCH Solutions Country Risk & Industry Research has downgraded its growth forecast for the Philippine construction industry, noting that projects under the “Build, Build, Build,” program will likely be delayed following the reduced budget for infrastructure this year.

THE Department of Health (DoH) in Regions I, II and the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) proposed to Congress a P21.5-billion budget for 2021.

Businesses today are confronted with numerous and wide ranging concerns as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. There are pressing issues on production or client servicing, supply chains, human resources, cash flow, market demand, financing, or survival at the extreme. Tax obligations, likewise, have to be dealt with regardless of the company’s financial position.

SUBSIDIES to state-owned firms surged 573% year on year in April after the Social Security System (SSS) received the funding for the small business wage subsidy program, the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) said.

THE Tourism department will permit partial dine-in operations at hotel restaurants in areas under general community quarantine starting June 15.

THE Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is hoping to reach an agreement soon with the Metro Pacific Group to extend the North Luzon Expressway (NLEx) to Anda Circle in Manila’s Port Area, after the completion of the 2.6-kilometer NLEx Harbor Link Segment 10 C3-R10 Section.

THE Insurance Commission (IC) has encouraged insurers, pre-need companies and health maintenance organizations to use digital payments as part of a broader set of ground rules for electronic transactions.

GOVERNMENT agencies will soon be required to use electronic signatures and allow online payments for port fees and customs duties as more relaxed lockdown measures are adopted.

In the first part of this two-part series, we discussed how to assess whether changes in lease contracts are lease modifications, and covered lease concessions that are treated as variable rent, lease modifications, and accounted for as government grants.