Sweden donates P100M to RP for fund vs. tax cheats

The government of Sweden has donated P100 million to beef up the Philippines' revenue collection programs, including its campaign against tax fraud. A Malacanang statement said Tuesday that Sweden has given the country a "trust fund" to be handled by the Finance department and the Bureau of Internal Revenue, for the development of a statistics-gathering program to be used to weed out tax evaders. The donation was made during Swedish Ambassador to the Philippines Annika Markovic, farewell call on President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo at Malacanang’s Music Room Monday. Markovic was quoted as saying that the P100-million trust fund will help further strengthen the "many good tax laws" and revenue collection programs of the Philippine government. For her part, President Arroyo thanked Sweden for the donation, saying the trust fund would go a long way in helping with the government's fiscal program. During the farewell call, President Arroyo conferred the Order of Sikatuna with the rank of Datu (Grand Cross) on the outgoing Swedish ambassador. - GMANews.TV