The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is pushing for reforms to strengthen the Philippine corporate bond market and broaden capital market access for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), with strategic engagement from the World Bank Group (WBG) and its private-sector lending arm,...
President Marcos administered the oath of office of new Executive Secretary Ralph Recto and new Department of Finance (DOF) Secretary Frederick Go, formalizing key changes in his economic and administrative team. The two officials took their oaths at the Study Room in Malacañan on Wednesday, Nov....
HONG KONG — Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC) may hold off on its planned divestment from Light Rail Manila Corp. (LRMC) after the government immediately opened talks to address its obligations to the company. LRMC President and Chief Executive Officer Enrico Benipayo told MPIC Chairman...
Despite the nearly two percent hike in foreign borrowings, the national government’s outstanding debt fell to ₱17.455 trillion in September, though officials warned that further reductions will depend heavily on the peso’s strength against the United States (US) dollar. National Treasurer...
To account for rising consumer prices and living costs, the Department of Finance (DOF) and its attached agency, the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), are seeking to raise the ceiling for tax-exempt benefits and allowances enjoyed by both private- and public-sector workers. “Under this proposal,...
While the Department of Finance (DOF) is pushing for the swift enactment of its priority tax measures in the 20th Congress, raising the already eye-sore 12-percent value-added tax (VAT) by three percentage points (ppt) next year is off the table. In a Facebook post, the DOF called out Cavite 4th...
Metro Manila West Zone concessionaire Maynilad Water Services Inc. began its capital-raising exercise Thuesday, Oct. 23, with its ₱34.33 billion initial public offering (IPO) open for subscription until Oct. 29, 2025. Maynilad fixed its IPO share price at ₱15 on Oct. 20. The water...
Manila-based Asialink Finance Corporation (AFC) expects to post about ₱2.7 billion in net income by year-end, driven in part by the fresh $75-million (around ₱4.36-billion) term loan facility it secured from United Kingdom-based Standard Chartered Bank (SCB). Asialink said the maiden loan...
President Marcos’ chief economic manager stated that reducing the current 12-percent value-added tax (VAT) rate could weaken the government’s ability to fund operating expenses, such as personnel wages, as it would result in lower tax collections. Finance Secretary Ralph G. Recto said in an...
Department of Finance (DOF) Secretary Ralph Recto on Tuesday, Oct. 14, said the Philippine economy may experience a temporary slowdown in the latter half of 2025 due to ongoing government reforms meant to ensure proper spending of taxpayers’ money, but he expressed optimism that growth will...
Department of Finance (DOF) Secretary Ralph Recto on Tuesday, Oct. 14, said corruption in government infrastructure programs, particularly flood control projects, has hampered the country’s economic growth and affected the government’s ability to meet its revenue targets. During the Senate...
Aside from lead cornerstone investors International Finance Corp. and Asian Development Bank (ADB), Maynilad Water Services, Inc. has signed cornerstone investment agreements with 10 more international and domestic institutions led by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, acting...
