A lawmaker is pushing for the amendments to Republic Act (RA) 7227 or the Bases Conversion and Development Act of 1992, as amended, to improve revenue collection within free-port zones (FZs) and thereby increasing the shares of the Local Government Units (LGU) affected and the share of the national government.
Bataan First District Rep. Geraldine B. Roman said she believes her proposal (House Bill 530) will strengthen the administration and operational governance of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) by amending provisions of RA 7227.
Reallocation formulas as to the sharing received by the Province of Bataan and Pampanga from the 2-percent tax on gross income from all business enterprises within the free-port zone were introduced in her bill.
Also, sections designating additional seats to the Board of Directors of the SBMA of LGU and from Indigenous Peoples residing within the Subic Bay FZ were incorporated.
The lawmaker appealed to her colleagues for the immediate passage of her bill, revitalizing the bases conversion development, amending for the purpose Bases Conversion and Development Act of 1992 (as amended).
Roman, who heads the House Committee on Women and Gender Equality, added it is high time to incorporate provisions to professionalize the SBMA Board of Directors and also to ensure and strengthen the public safety and security of the free-port zone.
She said amendments were taken into consideration during the 17th Congress on the basis of reaffirming the powers granted to the SBMA by RA 7227 (as amended).