March 4, 2015
Daily Star by Carla Gomez | http://goo.gl/cCgDq0
Sugar Regulatory Administrator Ma. Regina Martin yesterday said Bureau of Internal Revenue Commissioner Kim Henares is still reviewing a revenue memorandum circular that, hopefully, will address concerns raised by industry stakeholders on the imposition of a one percent creditable withholding tax on raw sugar and molasses.
“We hope the revenue memorandum circular can solve the issues and concerns raised,” she said.
Small sugar planters, especially agrarian reform beneficiaries, are complaining that Revenue Regulation 11-2014 that imposes the one percent tax on raw sugar and molasses upon withdrawal from the mills has hampered the sale and release of their produce because of their inability to meet BIR requirements.
Among the BIR documentary requirements for the release of the raw sugar and molasses is the taxpayer identification number of the farmer.
At a dialog with the BIR Monday, agrarian reform beneficiaries said it is difficult for them to get TINs because they have to present National Statistics Office certified birth certificates and many of them do not have these because they were born in remote areas and their births were not registered.
Martin said small planters are now able to sell their sugar because of an undertaking to eventually comply with requirements, which they fear they are unable to fulfil.
At the dialog with industry stakeholders Monday BIR Region 12 officials said they could not grant the 120-day moratorium on RR 11-2014 sought by the Sugar Alliance of the Philippines to give small farmers time to meet BIR requirements.
All they could say was that they would relay the concerns raised, especially by small sugar farmers, to Henates.
Rafael Coscolluela, president of the Confederation of Sugar Producers Associations, said in a separate interview, that in a recent meeting with Henares, the Philippine Sugar Millers Association asked if the implementation of RA 11-2014 could be suspended and she right away said it could not.
Henares, however, said she was willing to dialog with industry stakeholders, he added.