PHILIPPINE business leaders under the Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (FFCCCII), the country’s largest and most influential business group, is taking Finance Secretary Frederick Go on his promise that further inspections by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) would be “more controlled and data driven” to prevent abuse.
Federation President Victor Lim said the Finance chief’s announced reforms in the implementation of ‘LOAs’ (letter of authority) “represents a seminal advancement in our nation’s fiscal governance.”
“By anchoring the audit process to a digitized, risk-based, data-driven system, the policy minimizes discretion, strengthens accountability, and definitively curtails the potential for arbitrary measures,” Lim added.
The abuses arising from the implementation of LOAs by BIR district offices has prompted a Senate inquiry last December 11.
Senator Erwin Tulfo, Senate Blue Ribbon Vice Chair and proponent of the inquiry, accused BIR personnel of ‘weaponizing’ the LOA and ‘MOs’ (mission orders) to harass and extort money from business establishments (Pinoy Exposé, December 16, 2025).
Lim said Secretary Go’s promised reforms are not just “procedural.”
“It signals a mature transition from an enforcement-centric model to one built on transparency, fairness, and rational engagement between the state and its economic contributors.
“Such a principled framework will fuel investor and business confidence,” Lim added.