NEWSFLASH

TAX CREDITS FOR COMPUTER DONORS

Makati City, June 2, 2000 - To give poor students in high school access to information technology and the Internet, the government will soon offer tax incentives to private companies that donate personal computers (PC), according to Trade and Industry Secretary Mar Roxas.

Roxas said the President has already approved the plan to induce companies to donate brand-new computers to more than 5,500 high schools nationwide.

He said access to information technology (IT) is imperative to ensure that poor students would not be deprived of the opportunities to earn higher income offered to those with knowledge of the internet or information technology.

Roxas, who was the guest speaker at the 5th Information Technology Conference of the Philippine Computer Society last Tuesday, said the incentives could apply to donations of brand-new or used computers.

The Department of Finance is finalizing the rules and regulations governing the award of incentives.

Roxas further said that government will also invite international bidders for the supply of basic desktop computers for school use.

Many software companies, Roxas said, are also interested in providing software programs.

He said the government would likely adopt the China model to provide continuous supply of computers.

In China, for instance, each student pays $3 (about P120) a semester as user's fee.

In a classroom of 50 students, the cost of the computer is paid for in full in one year. The money goes to pay for the next generation of computers.

"In effect, we will be instituting a system where these computers would be made available all across the country in as quick a time as possible," said Roxas.

Filipinos, he said, should become a part of the changes in technology and even lead or attempt to direct it.

"It was recognized all across the world that we, here in the Philippines, possess outstanding characteristics that will enable us to do particularly well in this Internet or IT age," Roxas said.

The Philippines has a high literacy rate, good level of education, English competency, and familiarity with Western business practices, he said.