Tingog Party-list Rep. Jude Acidre (Ellson Quismorio/ MANILA BULLETIN)

House Deputy Majority Leader Tingog Party-list Rep. Jude Acidre has echoed Speaker Martin Romualdez's call for the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to ensure that it hits its revenue targets. 

Acidre said doing so would give the government the resources to fund the programs of the Marcos administration. 

“We’d like to reiterate also the position of the Speaker that the House naman and Congress have also done their part to also assist BIR, especially with the passage of the Ease of Paying Taxes Act,” the ranking solon said in a recent press conference. 

“So ginagawa natin ang lahat ng makakaya natin to support BIR and its revenue collection initiatives para naman mas mapagaan itong pagbabayad natin ng buwis,” he added. 

(So we're doing everything we can to to support BIR and its revenue collection initiatives so that paying taxes won't be as burdensome. 

Romualdez earlier called on the BIR to ensure the efficiency in tax collections, emphasizing that “hitting revenue targets means the government can fund its spending program, which will enable growth". 

Acidre said the Marcos administration is very aggressive in ensuring economic growth, and it is very important for the BIR not to miss its revenue targets to fund the President’s programs to combat hunger and poverty. 

“We are more aggressive with ensuring economic growth towards the end of this administration. Napaka-importante po na we don’t miss our targets to make sure that the economic growth, our trajectory to the economic growth that we’ve want to realize, is on track,” he explained. 

“So, we support the Speaker and of course, we are hopeful, too. We want to assure also the BIR that Congress is also open to any other initiatives or policy development that may be needed to further strengthen or empower the agency in the exercise of its mandate,” noted the party-list lawmaker. 

Romualdez, Leyte's 1st district representative, earlier said that the BIR’s revenue collections grew by 17 percent this year. 

“That’s welcome news, and I credit the BIR for that. But 17 percent growth from total collections last year will mean the BIR will fall short of P3.05 trillion target set by the economic managers,” he said. 

The House leader said an increase of 17 percent will bring total collections this year to P2.944 trillion, still slightly below the target. 

“It’s a high bar to clear. That’s why Congress has given the BIR the tools to collect more effectively from taxpayers,” Romualdez said.