The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) targets a second contract with the Millennium Challenge Corp. (MCC) for which the Philippines had recently been declared eligible to apply.
Internal Revenue Commissioner Kim Jacinto-Henares said the BIR will apply for another grant for assistance in improving its tax-collection capabilities, including the program to promote its collection campaign by equating tax payments to a taxpayer’s contribution to nation-building.
Henares said that under the Philippines’s first contract with the MCC, which amounted to $433.91 million, the BIR’s revenue and anti-corruption efforts benefited by at least $50 million.
Last December the Philippines was declared eligible to apply for a second contract with the MCC, after garnering improved scores in the criteria for selecting eligible “compact” partners.
In the MCC Scorecard for fiscal year 2015, the Philippines earned improved scores in Rule of Law (a jump from 42 percent to 54 percent) and Control of Corruption (from 46 percent to 61 percent). The country also improved on the Ruling Justly indicator, and had consistent passing scores in indicators on Economic Freedom and Investing in People.
David Cagahastian