The country’s chief economic planner has dismissed suggestions to dismiss the tax reform law saying this could hamper the implementation of the administration’s massive infrastructure and social programs that would benefit millions of Filipinos.

Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia said the implementation of the first package of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) law “has been very beneficial” for the country.

Pernia said the law has improved fiscal space for the government to fund the “Build, Build, Build” program and various social programs, including the conditional cash transfer (CCT), unconditional cash transfer (UCT), free tuition in state universities and colleges (SUC), free irrigation for farmers and ‘Pantawid Pasada’ cash grants.