Anakalusugan party-list representative Mike Defensor on Friday called on the government to provide assistance to business owners as the economy starts to reopen under Alert Level 1.
"Ito 'yung panahon ng pagbubukas muli. Kailangan alalayan ang mga negosyante maliit o malaki na magkaroon sila ng talagang pambawi, makabawi sila nitong mga pagbubukas ng ekonomiya," he told DZRH in an interview.
(This is the time to reopen again. There is a need to assist owners of small and medium businesses so they can recover, and so they can bounce back while the economy reopens.)
According to Defensor, one way to help businesses is to reduce taxes imposed on businesses.
"In terms of business taxes sa ngayon, kung hindi naman sila sisingilin na malaki, malaking tulong na sa kanila 'yun. Parang insentibo sa kanila, na 'yung taxes mismo, hindi sila mabibigatan," he added.
(In terms of business taxes now, if they are not charged by a huge amount, that is already a big deal for them. That is like an incentive for them that they will not be burdened by taxes.)
The lawmaker added that they already approved in the national budget allocated funds to help businesses financially while they recover from the pandemic.
"This should be a continuing program. Hindi lang ngayong taon. It should be for next year and the next year para talagang masustain yung development ng ating ekonomiya," he said.
(This should be a continuing program. Not just this year. This should be for next year and the next year so we can sustain the development of the economy.)
"Kasama na 'yung 'Build, Build, Build' na gagawin ng susunod na pangulo kasama ang Kongreso at Senado bilang polisiya para mabigyan ng trabaho at magkaroon ng pagkilos ang ating ekonomiya," he added.
(This joins the 'Build, Build, Build' that will be accomplished by the next president with the Congress and Senate to generate jobs and for the economy to move forward.)
Defensor is running as Quezon City mayor in the upcoming May elections. He was a leading figure among the lawmakers who voted to deny the franchise renewal of major broadcast network ABS-CBN, which led to job losses to an undisclosed number of workers in the company.
