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PEZA remits dividends of P898M in 2021
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Since its inception in 1996 until 2021, the agency has remitted to government dividends amounting P10.804 billion
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From 1996 to 2021, it contributed a total of P7.852 billion in corporate income tax
The Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) remitted P898.472 million to the national government as dividend in 2021, bringing the ecozones’ total dividend pay-outs since 1996 to P10.804 billion.
“PEZA continues to remit high dividends brought by our existing and new investments, projects, and expansions from 2017 to 2021. Amidst the pandemic, operations in our ecozones are unhampered and we continue to remit 50% of our net income as dividends to the national government,” PEZA director general Charito Plaza said in a statement.
The 2021 contribution, however, was less than the P2 billion remittance in 2020, when PEZA added P1.190 billion to its P810.264 million dividend remittance as contribution to help finance government’s anti-COVID-19 efforts.
From 2017 to 2021, PEZA said it had contributed to the national coffers P5.611 billion in dividends, 8.05% higher than the 1996-2016 contribution of P5.193 billion.
Since its inception 26 years ago, PEZA has turned over a total of P10.804 billion in dividends.
From 1996 to 2021, it contributed a total of P7.852 billion in corporate income tax.
Overall, PEZA payments to the national government from 1996 to 2021 consisted of dividends and corporate income tax totalling P18.656 billion.
“As PEZA does not receive any subsidy from the government, we really have to be more aggressive and innovative in attracting new investments, creating employment, and generating exports,” Plaza noted.
Last year, PEZA reported a 14.016% increase in export income to $63.061 billion from $55.309 billion in 2020. Employment within the ecozones also increased by 13.908% to 1.783 million jobs in 2021 from more than 1.5 million jobs two years ago.
PEZA derives revenues from service income, such as permit and inspection fees, processing fees, sewerage/garbage fees, fines, and transhipments. Another source is business income such as service concession revenue, rent and lease income, and utility system fees.
