BUSINESSMIRROR publisher T. Anthony C. Cabangon (with trophy) is congratulated by (from left), Tom Banguis Jr., chairman of the Rotary Journalism Awards; Rotary Club of Manila president Francis Juico and club director Romy Batino during the 2006 Rotary Club of Manila Journalism Awards rites at the Tower Club in Makati City. --NONIE REYES

“REMARKABLE and deserving.”

These were the words used to describe the feat achieved by the BusinessMirror Thursday, when it was named by the Rotary Club of Manila (RCM) as the 2006 National Newspaper of the Year.

AN in-depth study commissioned recently by Malacañang has recommended authorizing the Department of Finance to gain access to income tax returns filed each year by corporate as well as individual taxpayers to improve collection with detailed analysis.

ALL ODDS are stacked against the revenue commissioner, former bureau head Jose Mario Buñag told BusinessMirror the evening after Malacañang unceremoniously sacked him on Wednesday.

Beerman Ang’s pitch: Hike sin taxes if . . .

MACTAN, Cebu—Higher taxes for sin products?

This was pitched by San Miguel Corp. president and chief operating officer Ramon S. Ang at the 2nd Annual Philippines Investment Conference as a way of sustaining government tax collection—but he has a condition.

THE National Economic and Development Authority said there is improved financial performance last year in the active 135 project loans and six program loans owing to “sustained efforts to reduce implementation bottlenecks.”

PRESIDENT Arroyo laid out Thursday part of her agenda with the 14th Congress including the ratification of the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (Jpepa), and the cheap medicines and credit bureau bills.

THE much-delayed Census of Population is ready for implementation in August and would confirm earlier estimates that Filipinos now number about 88 million, the National Statistics Office (NSO) said on Thursday.

TO President Arroyo, an advice from the head of world’s largest insurer: level the playing field if you want to attract investors.

This was what American International Group’s (AIG) third chief executive officer, Martin J. Sullivan, told the republic’s CEO on Wednesday before dinner.

SEN. Mar Roxas has backed moves to open a full-blown Senate inquiry into the $330-million national broadband deal with China-based ZTE Corp. that bishops and businessmen’s groups want abrogated as soon as the 14th Congress convenes on July 23.

THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has its eyes more intently trained on inflation and its underlying causes than on liquidity, the growth of which has quickened in recent months.

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Licensed for action. The new “Batmobile” motorbike is on display at the Licensing International Expo Wednesday, June 20, 2007, in New York. The annual show at the Jacob K. Javits convention center is open to the licensing industry professionals and runs June 19 through 21. --AP