By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Pwersa ng Bayaning Atleta (PBA) partylist Rep. Mark Sambar, who was in Bacolod City this week, defended the recent passage of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law, which drew criticism on claims it would raise the price of basic commodities.

According to the congressman, critics are only looking at one aspect of the law.

He called the new taxes “necessary,” explaining they are needed to update existing taxes.

“We are no longer competitive in our [tax] region,” said Sambar.

He also noted, those earning P250,000 a year or less are no longer required to file taxes; in addition, the tax exemption also applies to 13th month pay and bonuses up to P90,000.

“Before the passage of the law, the annual salary [was] being taxed by around 30 percent, so that’s around P60,000 in taxes if you are earning P200,000 a year,” the party-list representative affirmed.

The TRAIN Law is expected to go into effect next month./DGB, WDJ