(Lusot na sa House panel)P10-B PAUTANG SA MALILIIT NA NEGOSYO

INAPRUBAHAN ng House Committee on Banks and Financial Intermediaries ang isang consolidated bill, kabilang ang House Bill No. 1 ni Speaker Martin G. Romualdez, na naglalayong palawakin ang lending programs ng pamahalaan, partikular sa maliliit na negosyo na naapektuhan ng COVID-19 pandemic.

Sa isinagawang pagdinig ng naturang komite na pinamumunuan ni Manila Rep. Irwin C. Tieng, agad na kinatigan ang mosyon na pag-apruba sa nasabing consolidated measure, alinsunod sa itinatakda ng Rule 10 Section 48 ng House Rules ng Kamara.

“There is a motion duly seconded, the bills on GUIDE by virtue of Section 48 of the rules of the House of Representatives are hereby approved. The secretariat is directed to prepare the committee report,” pahayag ni Tieng.

“As a matter of procedure, we have to submit our approved committee report to the appropriations (committee) for funding and of course for ways and means (committee) for tax provision,” sabi pa ng Manila lawmaker.

Nabatid na sa ilalim ng HB No. 1 o ang ‘act providing for government financialinstitutions unified initiatives to distressed enterprises for economic recovery (GUIDE)’ ni Speaker Romualdez, maglalaan ng P7.5 billion pondo sa Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) at P2.5 billion naman sa Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) o kabuuang P10 billion para magamit sa isinasagawa nitong pagpapautang sa micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), at iba pang mahahalagang kompanya sa lahat ng bahagi ng bansa.

Bukod sa House Speaker, kasama rin bilang principal authors ng HB No.1 sina Representatives Yedda Marie K. Romualdez (TINGOG party-list), presidential son Ferdinand Alexander Marcos (Ilocos Norte 1st. Dist.) at Jude Acidre (TINGOG party-list) kung saan nais nilang magkaroon ng access credit at rediscounting facilities ng dalawang nabanggit na financial institutions ang MSMEs na nasa agriculture, infrastructure, manufacturing, at service industry sectors.

“The pandemic has placed a severe strain on our economy. The previous Congress successfully passed several versions of the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act to cushion the economic impact of the COVID-19. Nevertheless, our micro, small and medium enterprises remain struggling to survive the deleterious effects of the pandemic. In view of the foregoing, it is our humble but firm belief that we need to create a more enabling environment for financial access for our MSMEs,” pagbibigay-diin ni Acidre sa kanyang pag-sponsor sa nasabing panukala.

Sa ilalim ng GUIDE Bill, ang MSME ay tinutukoy bilang “any business activity or enterprise engaged in industry, agribusiness and/or services, whether single proprietorship, cooperative, partnership or corporation whose total assets, inclusive of those arising from loans but exclusive of the land on which the particular business entity’s office, plant and equipment are situated, must have value falling under the following categories: micro, not more than P3 million; small, P3 million to P15 million; and medium, P15 million to P100 million.”

ROMER R. BUTUYAN