Businesses saved P80M due to lower fees — SEC

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) said Tuesday thousands of businesses, including micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), received over P80 million worth of discounts spread across 40,000 transactions through the corporate regulator’s lowering of transaction fees.

In a statement, the SEC, citing preliminary data as of October 19, said it accommodated 40,157 transactions, “collectively providing P80.3 million in discounts to the transacting public—with more than half, or P40.9 million, going to MSMEs.”

Since July this year, the corporate regulator has issued three memorandum circulars aimed at encouraging the incorporation of MSMEs and further streamlining the registration process for companies tapping the capital market.

SEC Memorandum Circular No. 6, series of 2025 (MC 6), which took effect on July 1, provided a 50% discount on the physical and authenticated copies of company filings, including the articles of incorporation and by-laws, general information sheet, and annual financial statements, among others.

The reduced rates for such documents and other IT-related services of the commission under MC 6 have since provided over P36.5 million in discounts to the transacting public, according to the SEC.

The corporate regulator also issued, on July 16, MC 8, which provided discounted rates for certain filing fees to support the growth of MSMEs.

The SEC said it has allowed a total of 8,506 MSMEs, which registered as corporations, to accumulate P21.4 million in discounts for their registration fees.

Over 200 MSMEs that applied for an increase in their authorized capital stock also saved more than P19.4 million in line with MC 8.

Moreover, companies tapping the capital market likewise secured around P3 million in discounts following the issuance of MC 9, which provided a 30% discount for the assessed registration fees of all registration statement applications until December 31, 2025, among others.

“By lowering the barriers to entry for small businesses, we are sending a strong message that the corporate sector is an inclusive space where everyone—not just established industry players—can survive and thrive," said SEC Chairperson Francis Lim.

“The SEC will continue to assess its rules and policies to see where we can provide further assistance to our stakeholders, consistent with our goal of empowering MSMEs and the overall corporate sector to become catalysts for economic growth.'' —VBL, GMA Integrated News