Senator Edgardo J. Angara urged the amendment of existing laws to exempt senior citizens from the value-added tax in goods and services.

In his new Senate Bill No. 65, it seeks to extend the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2003 and reinstate senior citizens’ discount overwritten by succeeding value-added tax laws.

In 1992, Angara authored and sponsored the Senior Citizens Law granting a 20 percent discount on their purchase of goods and services, medical and dental care, transport fare, funeral and burial services, among others.

But with the passing of the 2005 EVAT Law (RA9337), all goods and services carry an additional 10 percent on their gross price; and later in 2006 the President decreed an increase of the EVAT to 12 percent. Consequently, senior citizens only enjoy discounts at 8 percent out of the mandated 20 percent. This has made a huge dent in the purchasing power of senior citizens and caused a decrease in spending by the elderly and their families.

This new bill seeks to correct this inconsistency by exempting senior citizens from EVAT, thereby giving them back the 20 percent discount intended for them.

“Let us continue to motivate and encourage our elderly to contribute to nation building; to encourage their families and other communities to reaffirm their tradition of caring for the elderly,” said Angara, chair, Senate committee on finance. (Rolly T. Carandang)

Lim appeals to Manileños

Manila Mayor Alfredo S. Lim Sunday appealed to those who troop to the City Hall during the weekly `People’s Day’ to give way to those who have more pressing problems, noting that employment capacity has a certain limit.

Lim made the appeal after noticing that a good number of those being entertained to lodge their problems before him take the opportunity as a chance to follow up their application for jobs in City Hall.

The mayor stressed that he established the `People’s Day’, which is held during Friday mornings, to give the residents a chance to talk to him in person and for Lim to hear their problems first-hand.

With this regular dialogue in place, the mayor said it is also hoped that a huge number of problems plaguing Manilans will be solved outright.

Lamentably however, some of those seeking City Hall employment use the occasion to follow-up their application, when the proper way would be to go to the personnel department headed by Assumption Ingrid Reyes.

Lim’s request came after an applicant managed to bring up her problem ahead of a mother whose baby is in need of immediate operation. (Jeamma E. Sabate)