Philippine Daily Inquirer
7:55 am | Sunday, November 20th, 2011
KIDAPAWAN CITY, Philippines—The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) plans
to go after Indian nationals involved in money lending activities but
admitted that it would not be easy to collect taxes from them.
Venerando Homez, revenue district officer, said at least a dozen Indian
nationals were suspected of involvement in money lending activities,
mostly to small entrepreneurs here.
Homez said they were certain the Indian nationals were not paying taxes
and did not have business permits.
At least a dozen Indian nationals lending capital to small business
establishments, particularly restaurants, sari-sari stores and vegetable
vendors can be seen roaming around the major thoroughfares in the
afternoon to collect the daily payments from the debtors, he said.
But Homez said their problem was how to build up cases against these
Indian nationals.
"Only the Economic Intelligence Investigation Bureau (EIIB) based in the
BIR main office has the authority to reprimand or invite foreign money
lenders operating in various places in the country," he said.
The problem was that this office has been dissolved, Homez said.
The only recourse, Homez said, was for the BIR to get the testimonies of
those who had borrowed money from the Indian money lenders.
"We will be facing a difficult task but we will do our best to run after
these Indian nationals in Kidapawan and other towns in North Cotabato,"
Homez said.
In Davao City, Vice Mayor Rodrigo Duterte urged Indian nationals to
follow the law if they want to stay in the country.
Earlier, Indian nationals there had complained of arrest by immigration
agents.
"It's the right of the country to protect itself against undesirable
aliens, so my advice to you is just follow the law and you"ll be safe,"
Duterte said.
It was not clear how many Indian nationals live in Davao City.
Even the Bureau of Immigration admitted it was having difficulty in
determining their real number because some of them reportedly entered
the country through the backdoor.
"There have been reports that some of them entered the country through
Sabah and they remain unaccounted for, hence, the raids in the past
weeks," Duterte said. Williamor Magbanua and Germelina Lacorte, Inquirer
Mindanao
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