SICPA stamp tax proposal dead, says BIR official

MANILA, Philippines -  A ranking official of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR)has confirmed that the controversial tax stamp proposal of the Switzerland-based SICPA Product Security SA (SICPA) is dead and there are no efforts to pursue or revive it.

Internal Revenue Assistant Commissioner James Roldan issued this statement to members of the House subcommittee on oversight, chaired by Isabela Rep. Giorgidi Aggabao, which called for a motu propio investigation on account of reports that the shelved SICPA unsolicited proposal is still alive.

As far as the BIR is concerned, Roldan said there is no activity whatsoever to pursue or revive the SICPA-BOT project consistent with what BIR officials said to House members before that they will be pursuing the tax stamp project for cigar and cigarettes through public bidding.

“That will be through regular procurement through public bidding pursuant to the General Procurement Act so we will need therefore to ask for a budget for the project, and of course the project has to be designed by the BIR so that there will be a process for drafting of the terms of reference and put together the system that BIR wants. Then we will ask for a budget and then open it up for public bidding,” said Roldan.

Asked by Aggabao if the BIR has taken concrete steps to pursue the public bidding, Roldan said he is not aware of any steps pursuant to that because the BIR has other priorities for the meantime.