Last modified on September 21, 2023

September 21, 2023 – The Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) included 11 additional bills to the Common Legislative Agenda (CLA) of the 19th Congress to further advance the attainment of the social and economic transformation agenda outlined in the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2023-2028.

During its 3rd meeting for the 19th Congress held on September 20, 2023, the LEDAC, chaired by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., adopted 11 priority bills to help achieve the development targets in various areas outlined in the PDP. These areas include government efficiency, national defense, and infrastructure development.

“The timely passage of these priority bills will bring us closer to building a prosperous, inclusive, and resilient society for Filipinos,” said Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), who was tasked to present an overview of the new bills for inclusion in the CLA.

Seven out of the 11 bills were mentioned by the President as priority measures during his second State of the Nation Address in July. Among these seven bills were the amendments to the Government Procurement Reform Act, as presented by the Department of Budget and Management. The salient provisions of the measure aim to further improve and expedite the government’s procurement process, as well as address the procurement challenges experienced on the ground.

Meanwhile, the Department of Finance also presented the proposed amendments to the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) Act, which include reforms on the VAT refund system and on the strengthening of the tax administration and governance provisions.

The President of the Philippines chairs the LEDAC, while NEDA serves as its secretariat. It is a consultative and advisory body on specific programs and policies that are crucial for achieving the goals of the national economy. It also serves as a platform to facilitate high-level policy discussions on vital issues and concerns that impact national development.

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Annex:

List of new bills approved by the LEDAC on September 20, 2023

  1. Amendments to Government Procurement Reform Act
  2. Excise Tax on Single-Use Plastics
  3. Amendments to the Cooperative Code
  4. Amendments to the Fisheries Code
  5. New Government Auditing Code
  6. VAT on Digital Services
  7. Rationalization of the Mining Fiscal Regime
  8. Philippine Defense Industry Development Act
  9. Philippine Maritime Zones Act
  10. Open Access in Data Transmission Act
  11. Amendments to the Right-of-Way Act

Source: https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=727334262755538&id=100064369135346&mibextid=WC7FNe&rdid=TtKmZOzu7kQehnYL