Mobilization to challenge the rich elite over proposed new tax regime

Mobilization to challenge the rich elite over proposed new tax regime
Fr. Shay Cullen
21 November 2023

Preda News

Filipino Action organizations are fighting to end poverty and work for economic equality, to bring social justice for the poor and end the monopoly of the elite over the economy. Poverty is caused by the injustice and political domination and rule of The Philippines by dynastic families.

New proposed laws to adopt an international tax regime that will make the rich richer and the poor poorer. The Philippine department of finance has agreed to join the BEPS a very unjust tax regime and it must be stopped. The Senators with commitment o to the poor must block any such undemocratic and unjust Tax system.

Equality is the goal of a democratic country, not an elitism that’s allows poverty to spread and the rich become richer like the richest 1% of tycoons and money moguls that promote tax breaks for themselves and who have tricks and turns to escape paying a just share of their taxes.

The civil society organizations are aware of the grave and serious Inequality that causes human suffering and a perpetual poverty class that suffer hunger. There are 20, million poor in the Philippines and inflation is making life unbearable. The BEPS system will create more poverty as if the rich-poor divide was not already a great injustice, this BEPS will make it worse if it becomes law.

The notice from the Civil society organizations and peoples’ movements says that they will be holding a mobilization in front of the Senate of the Philippines on November 22, 2023, starting at 10:00 AM, to call on solons to reject the Base Erosion and Profit-Shifting (BEPS) Framework of the OECD and G20, a wealthy country-led agenda for international tax architecture reform that tax justice advocates and peoples’ movements around the world have decried as an illegitimate and undemocratic “Tax Deal of the Rich.” The Department of Finance signed on to the BEPS Framework on November 08, 2023. Mobilization organized by Tax and Fiscal Justice Asia (TAFJA), the Asian Peoples’ Movement on Debt and Development (APMDD), SANLAKAS, Oriang Women’s Movement, Freedom from Debt Coalition (FDC), and Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (BMP).

In line with their advocacy for tax justice, the groups are also calling on Senators to remove all confidential and intelligence funds in the 2024 General Appropriations Act. The 2024 GAA is currently under deliberation in the Senate.

Leaders of participating organizations will also be present to speak at the mobilization, including Atty. Luke Espiritu, President of labor center Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino and former senatorial candidate, Manjette Lopez, President of the progressive multisectoral coalition SANLAKAS, Flora Asiddao-Santos, President of the women’s organization Oriang, and Rovik Obanil, Secretary-General of the Freedom from Debt Coalition.

The Philippine groups’ actions are part of the Asia Days of Action for Tax Justice, a coordinated day of action by civil society organizations in Asia to advance tax justice by calling attention to corporate tax abuses, illicit financial flows, and government policies that aid and abet these practices.

Preda News.