Mas malaking savings para sa retirement para sa mga manggagawang Pilipino, Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), at eligible contributors?
Ito ang pag-aaralan ni Finance Secretary Frederick D. Go, na balak i-improve ang Personal Equity and Retirement Account (PERA) program para mas marami ang maengganyong mag-contribute para sa kanilang “retirement" at mag-participate sa long-term investments.
Aniya sa Department of Finance (DOF) website: “Our goal is to make PERA a more effective tool for helping Filipinos prepare for retirement."
WHAT IS PERA?
Ang PERA Act of 2008 ay kilala rin bilang Republic Act No. 9505.
Ito ay voluntary retirement savings program para sa mga eligible individuals na nag-invest sa “approved financial products while receiving tax incentives, subject to applicable rules.”
Ito ay "supplement retirement benefits" bukod pa sa Social Security System (SSS), Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), at iba pang katulad na programa.
Sa BPI website, ipinaliwanag na ang PERA ay para sa “exclusive use and benefit of the contributor for the purpose of being invested solely in PERA investment products in the Philippines.”
Sabi pa rito: “Funds remaining inside your PERA will also be automatically paid out to your beneficiaries tax-free, in case of death, and thus will prove to be beneficial as an estate planning tool as well.”
Kabilang pa sa benefits ang pagkakaroon ng "PHP10,000 tax credit" kada taon at "tax-free distribution" pagsapit ng edad 55 at limang taong kontribusyon
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GO’S PLANS FOR PERA
Pag-aaralan ni Go kung ano ang mga puwedeng baguhin sa kasalukuyang annual contribution limits ng PERA, “taking into account changes in income levels, financial needs, and prevailing economic conditions.”
Titingnan din ng kalihim kung makakagawa ng uniform annual contribution limit.
Sa kasalukuyan, ang mga Filipino contributors ay maaaring maghulog ng PHP200,000 kada taon, habang ang mga OFWs naman ay maaaring maghulog ng hanggang PHP400,000.
Kasama sa plano ang paglulunsad ng awareness campaign para malaman ng publiko kung paano mag-open ng account at gaano kaepektibo ang programa.
At bukas ang kanyang tanggapan sa mga suggestions.
Ayon sa DOF website: "As part of the review, Secretary Frederick Go is inviting stakeholders from the financial and investment sectors, employers, labor groups, retirement and pension institutions, and other relevant organizations to submit their inputs and recommendations on how to make PERA more accessible, beneficial, and attractive to Filipino workers, OFWs, and other eligible contributors."
Dagdag ng kalihim: "We welcome stakeholder recommendations on how to improve the program, strengthen its incentives, and encourage more people to build long-term savings."
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