After recently submitting to Malacañang this year's Investment Priorities Plan (IPP), the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) plans to fast-track the drafting of 2014's IPP as it targets implementation by January next year, the department's top official said Tuesday.
Trade Secretary Gregory L. Domingo said the 2013 IPP, only recently submitted to the Office of the President, should have been out by March 30 as mandated by law.
"We will try to issue 2014 IPP earlier..hopefully yun effective January 1. Para 'pag nilagay yung date, mas effective siya for the whole year. We'd like to improve the process," Domingo told reporters on the sidelines of the formal opening of FUJIFILM Optics Philippines Inc.'s factory in Laguna.
The IPP defines which sectors will be favored with incentives such as tax holidays and other tax breaks.
Domingo noted that "some minor changes" were made in last year's IPP for the 2013 plan.
"There're some minor changes... more on the treatment of certain things," Domingo said, but declined to elaborate on the details.
Earlier, Domingo said most of the incentives in the 2012 IPP would likely be retained for this year's IPP, and that major changes would have to wait until 2014.
One of the changes reflected in the draft IPP is the definition of "pioneer project." In last year's IPP, some projects with large investments were allowed to be classified as pioneer projects and therefore eligible for four- to eight-year tax holidays. Under the new IPP, projects can only be granted pioneer status if the service or project is completely new to the Philippines.
Another proposed change is the requirement of a comment from the Department of Agriculture before an agricultural project is given incentives under the IPP.
Under the draft IPP, income tax holidays for tourist establishments in Cebu City, Mactan City, Metro Manila and Boracay will be removed, based on a resolution the BoI promulgated on March 5.
If the DTI achieves its goal for next year's IPP, the 2013 IPP will be effective for only less than half a year or "until 2014 IPP becomes effective," the Trade Secretary said.
As of now, Domingo said the DTI will make consultations and work closely with the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) before drafting the 2014 IPP.
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