Ni NOEL ABUEL
Pinayuhan ni House Deputy Minority Leader at Bagong Henerasyon party list Rep. Bernadette Herrera ang Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) na bisitahin ang charter nito kasunod ng pahayag ni BSP Governor Felipe Medalla na maglalaan ng pondo sa panukalang Maharlika Wealth Fund (MWF).
Magugunitang una nang nanindigan si Medalla na tutol ito sa pag-invest ng foreign reserves nito sa MWF.
“If they say we will take the central bank’s dollars, then what will you use now if your reserves are reduced because they’ve been taken for the wealth fund? “We will have less ammunition the next time there is international volatility that was related to the peso and the dollar,” sa naging pahayag ni Medalla.
Sa naunang pahayag naman ni Marikina Rep. Stella Quimbo, ang gobernador ng BSP ay nagkaroon ng pagbabago ng isip pagkatapos sumang-ayon ang mga lider ng Kongreso na huwag hawakan ang mga reserbang International Reserves ng Central Bank, at sa halip ay gamitin ang mga dividends nito.
“He became supportive when we assured him that the reserves would not be used for funding, but rather, the profits. For example, profits from a windfall can be used to invest in the fund,” sabi ni Quimbo.
Gayunpaman, inalala ni Herrera ang charter ng BSP na maaaring makaapekto sa pagkakasangkot nito sa MWF.
“May malinaw na kahilingan ng Bangko Sentral ay ₱200,000,000,000, upang ganap na masakripisyo ng pamahalaan pagkatapos ay tinutukoy bilang Pamahalaan: Sa kondisyon, na ang pagtaas sa capitalization ay dapat pondohan lamang mula sa idineklarang dibidendo ng Bangko Sentral na pabor sa Pambansang Pamahalaan,” giit ni Herrera.
“Therefore, until the BSP reaches P200B in capitalization, all dividends must first go to it as the national government’s capital payment. According to their financial statements, the BSP has not yet reached this P200B level at present,” dagdag nito.
“So the only way a contribution to the MWF can happen is either the BSP will have enough profits in 2021-2022 to reach the P200B, and anything above that can go to the MWF. The second scenario is that they will divert the profits immediately even without reaching the P200B requirement, by making amendments to the law,” paliwanag pa nito.
Ayon sa mambabatas, sa 2021 balance sheet ipinapakita na ang equity ay P136B, na mas mababa saP200B level.
“The country’s GIR is at present below our external debt, so what excess reserves are we talking about?” saad pa ng kongresista.
Iminungkahi pa nito na ang susunod na hakbang ay upang matukoy nang eksakto kung magkano ang kasalukuyang kapital ng BSP at kung o hindi ito ay makatotohanang umaasa ng labis na pondo sa itaas ng kinakailangan ng P200B.
“If the bank does not meet the requirements set in their own charter and they still make contributions to the MWF, then it will be a great cause of concern,” dagdag pa nito.
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