Reality check, Mr. President

In an ideal Philippine government, the democratically elected administration would be able to raise revenues by collecting the proper taxes from its citizens, corporate entities, businesses and fees for various public services, custom duties and tariffs on imports.

- MARIANNE GO

It would also be able to attract investors and investments in productive and strategic industries that would allow the country to generate gainful employment and produce goods and services that we can export to earn even more revenues that will be used for the development of the country.

Additionally, the government would ensure that our country is self-sufficient in the production of our basic food staples, such as rice, meat and vegetables, as well as basic material goods so that it can balance our import needs with what we would earn from the export of locally-produced goods and services.

Of course, since all accounting is never a zero sum equation, there will be instances when the government is not able to sufficiently fund its expenditures and will have to resort to borrowing domestically or from foreign sources.

The government, ideally, would be prudent in using the taxes, fees and duties it collects, as well as borrowed financing, to fund government health services for the people, including provision of vital infrastructure such as roads, bridges, airports, seaports and even low-cost housing, with no graft and corruption and wasteful expenditure from our elected and appointed government officials and lawmakers.

Unfortunately, ideal is difficult to achieve and the reality is nowhere near ideal. Our various governments messed up the economic growth plan decades ago and almost all succeeding governments still have not solved the growth puzzle.

What most of our government officials and lawmakers have perfected at a generational and doctorate degree level is corruption.