Senate to tackle cooperative bills

CEBU, Philippines - The Senate is set to discuss the committee report on the proposed bills seeking to reorganize the Cooperative Development Authority this year.

Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr., vice chairperson of the Senate Committee on Cooperatives, made the announcement ahead of the 12th National Cooperative Summit to be held in Cebu City tomorrow until Saturday.

Senate Bill No. 2134 seeks the amendment of Republic Act No. 6939, otherwise known as the CDA Charter, for the efficient implementation of R.A. No. 9520, otherwise known as the Philippine Cooperative Code of 2008.

“Essentially, the changes that we are trying to implement, is to strengthen the capability of the CDA for all of these functions that are given to them specifically the training, monitoring, regulation and administration of our cooperatives,” said Marcos at the 888 News Forum at Marco Polo Plaza yesterday.

Also present at the forum were CDA-7 director Philip Deri, Philippine Cooperative Center chairperson Doris Cañares, and PCC general manager Elsie Remonte.

CDA is the government agency that regulates cooperatives in the country. At present, there are about 23,000 cooperatives registered with the agency.

The proposed measure will also ease the process for cooperatives to avail tax exemption privileges as the certificate of registration of a cooperative will “ipso facto constitute” as the sole legal basis for full enjoyment of tax exemption. The Certificate of Good Standing (CGS) will no longer be required.

Marcos suspects that among the big issues to be raised by more than 4,000 delegates at the summit is the tax exemption provided by the code, which the Bureau of Internal Revenue has another interpretation.

“We are hoping that we will put into the amendments of the CDA Charter, we will make it very, very clear so that it’s no longer open for interpretation,” he said.

Marcos assured that he would help in efforts to strengthen the cooperative movement.

“Unfortunately, in the political leadership right now, cooperatives are not really a priority which I think is a mistake,” he said.

Earlier, the Senate Committees on Cooperatives, Civil Service and Government Reorganization, and Finance have recommended for the approval of the bill.

Also earlier this year, the House Committee on Cooperatives Development had approved the consolidated version of six bills that seek to reorganize the CDA.

Principally authored by Cebu third district Rep. Gwendolyn Garcia, House Bill No. 2391 was also approved by the House Committee on Appropriations. — (FREEMAN)