Naghain ng panukala si Senator Loren Legarda para mabigyan proteksyon ang remittance ng overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).
“The money remitted by OFWs to their beneficiaries in the Philippines goes through intermediaries or financial institutions. In the course of transfer, the amount supposedly remitted are subject to various fees and usurious charges, thereby depleting the amount to be received by the beneficiaries,” paliwanag ng senadora.
Base sa datos ng Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), ang personal remittances noong 2021 ay 8.9% gross domestic product ng bansa at 8.5% ng gross national income.
Noon din nakaraang taon, iniulat ng World Bank na ang Pilipinas ang In ‘4th largest remittance destination’ sa buong mundo.
“It is imperative for the government to protect the money transfers from several fees and incredulous interest rates imposed by financial institutions,” dagdag pa ni Legarda.
Nakasaad sa panukala na magkaroon ng limitasyon ang sinisingil na remittance fee, gayundin ang iba pang singilin ng remittance centers, magkaroon ng 50% diskuwento sa ipinapadalang pera ng OFWs at bigyan ng tax discounts naman ang remittance centers.