Senate to begin hearings on second tax reform
THE SENATE on Tuesday will hold its first public hearing on the second tax reform package, with senators expected to scrutinize the rationalization of fiscal incentives provisions and its possible effects on jobs and prices.
Selection of third major telco by December on track as gov’t issues final terms
THE DEPARTMENT of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) published on Friday the final terms of reference (ToR) outlining the process by which the government will select by December a third major player in the telecommunications industry.
Fitch Solutions downplays corporate tax cut’s lure
LOWER CORPORATE INCOME TAX RATES are unlikely to provide a big boost to inbound investments, Fitch Solutions said, noting that a weak business environment hounded by red tape still deters investors from making big bets in the Philippines.
House sends proposed mining tax reform back to DoF
A PROPOSAL to give government a bigger share in mining revenues goes back to square one, as House Speaker Gloria M. Arroyo on Thursday asked the Department of Finance (DoF) to submit a new draft that would consider inputs from miners.
ADB OK’s bigger PHL program
THE ASIAN Development Bank (ADB) said on Thursday that its Board of Directors has approved a $7.8-billion lending pipeline for 2018-2021, ramping up support for transport infrastructure, local governance and social development in line with the Duterte administration’s priorities.
BoP deficit persists as of August
THE COUNTRY’s balance of payments (BoP) position swung to a surplus in August as the Philippines raised funds from the sale of yen-denominated bonds, but the eight-month tally remained in deficit.
NEDA sees ‘net’ positive impact of trade war
THE PHILIPPINE ECONOMY could end up with a net gain in the trade war between the US and China as the world’s biggest economy seeks other sources of cheaper goods, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) said late Tuesday.
Growth seen picking up this quarter
CLARK, PAMPANGA -- Growth should have bounced this quarter from the preceding three months’ slowdown on the back of a “phenomenal” infrastructure drive, a global bank analyst said, although full-year expansion will likely settle below seven percent.
Asian firms’ confidence sinks to near 3-year low on trade fears
JAKARTA -- Confidence among Asian companies slumped to the weakest in almost three years in the third quarter as businesses feared blowback from a worsening global trade war, a Thomson Reuters/INSEAD survey showed.
Economic team wields inflation tool kit
THE PHILIPPINE ECONOMY is ready to face headwinds from rising inflation and further depreciation of the peso which have intensified in recent months, economic managers said on Tuesday, saying the government has all the tools it needs to handle these “temporary” challenges.
S&P sees PHL firms weathering rising rates
PHILIPPINE companies and their peers in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are largely expected to weather rising interest rates, S&P Global Ratings said in a Sept. 17 report that cited bigger debts incurred by firms in the region.
Decarbonization starts with natural gas; questions remain
BARCELONA -- Is natural gas a transition fuel on the road to a decarbonized future? That was the question posed to several chief executive officers (CEOs) of top energy firms at the Gastech Exhibition and Conference here on Monday.