PEZA advises BPOs to comply with FIRB in the meantime
The Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) is advising Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) firms to comply with the Fiscal Incentives Review Board (FIRB)’s order as they work on convincing the government to overturn this decision.
In a statement, PEZA Director-General Charito Plaza called the industry players to go back to their offices “for the meantime” to avoid any penalties.
Plaza promised that their agency “will still file its appeal for reconsideration on the denial by the FIRB” and will “continue to lobby” for remote work — or at least a hybrid working model.
The pandemic boosted remote working to the limelight, proving that BPO employees could still do their jobs while at home.
According to data by the IT & Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP), the BPO workforce grew further by eight per cent last year, adding about 100,000 new jobs. Meanwhile, revenues went up by around 12% to a total of $28.8 billion.
By the end of 2021, IBPAP said around 60% of the industry worked remotely.
Industry officials expressed their concern that the local IT-BPM sector may get left behind if it would not allow WFH going forward.
India, the Philippines’ biggest competitor in the BPO industry, is already setting up its policies and tax breaks that could accommodate the continuation of remote working.
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