Solon Urges Airport Authorities To Use Technology To Refund OFWs
The chairman of the House Committee on Banks and Financial Intermediaries is calling on airline companies and airport officials to use financial technology to immediately refund the travel tax and terminal fee to overseas Filipino workers.
Leyte Rep. Henry Ong said the aviation authorities and airline industry should find ways on how to transmit the travel tax and terminal fee refund directly to OFWs. In a statement, he said:
“Surely there must be some high-tech way the airlines and the country’s international airport agencies can transmit their travel tax and terminal fee refund directly to overseas Filipino workers.”
He added that making some 2.3 million OFWs personally line up to get their refund seems like such an antiquated way of disbursing PHP277.65 million worth of refunds. The airlines must certainly have personal data on each of the OFWs who boarded their international flights and with that data, they can find a financial technology solution. He took note of the pronouncement of Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) General Manager Ed Monreal that the refund must be given directly to OFWs.
According to the Republic Act 8042 or the Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act of 1995, the migrant worker shall be exempt from the payment of travel tax and airport fee upon proper showing of proof of entitlement by the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA).
He said Congress should exercise its oversight function should the concerned authorities fail to expeditiously refund the travel tax and terminal fee. As much he hoped that the situation would not have come to that, he hopes that the OFWs can get their refund sooner.
[Source]
Leave your comment