* This is my article in BusinessWorld last April 12, 2019.
From January to March 11 this year, Congress has created
and passed 77 new laws, 28 of national application (table below) and 49 being
local or franchise laws. The dates when they were approved by the President
this year are also here.
From the perspective of tax-conscious taxpayers and
regulations-wary entrepreneurs, five of the 28 national laws are good laws on
lesser bureaucracies, lesser taxes required: RA 11203, 11231, 11232, 11234, and
11239.
There are 15 bad laws on more bureaucracies needing more
taxes, more regulations: 11180, 11194, 11199, 11200, 11201, 11206, 11210,
11214, 11215, 11223, 11228 to 11230, 11235, and 11241.
And eight are somehow neutral laws: RA 11168, 11188,
11202, 11207, 11211, 11216, 11222, and 11227.
Laws of local application include: creating another
legislative district, another barangay, high school, polytechnic institute,
state university, sports training center, city prosecution office, creating or
upgrading a district hospital, granting citizenship to foreigners, extending or
renewing a franchise, recognizing an Academy, special provincial/city holidays,
renaming a public school, etc.
Majority of these are certainly bad laws because they
further expand bureaucracies and offices that require expanded taxes and fees.
There is endless welfarism with no timetable at the local and national levels.
Congressmen, Governors and Mayors create or convert new schools, news
hospitals, new barangays in their locality without spending their local
resources because they pass funding to the national government via the General
Appropriations Act.
In this midterm election campaign, do we see more
national and local politicians promising less burden to taxpayers and
entrepreneurs? From their various campaign promises and legislative agenda, the
answer is No. Bad.
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See also:
BWorld 311, MORE ride-hailing competition, April 08, 2019
BWorld 312, MORE price decline please, April 20, 2019
BWorld 313, MORE international tourism, April 21, 2019
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