President Rodrigo Duterte. King Rodriguez, Malacanang Photo

DAVAO CITY - President Rodrigo Duterte will remove "ridiculous" tax exemptions as he moves to reform the system to spur economic growth while lessening the burden of the poor, the head of his economic team said Tuesday.

Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez cited value added tax exemptions for girl and boy scouts. He had earlier said some exemptions for seniors, including travel and restaurant meals, will be lifted.

The economic team will "remove and rationalize all the exemptions that have accumulated since 1997" when the VAT was imposed, Dominguez told a consultative forum with businessmen here.

"It seems every interest group has managed to get an exemption from VAT, including the boy scouts and the girl scouts. It got to that ridiculous extent we're moving to have legislation change that," he said.

Duterte is seeking new taxes and the lifting of certain exemptions to offset a planned reduction in corporate and personal income tax rates to 25 percent from 32 percent.

The new measures include taxes petroleum and soft drinks and other sweetened beverages. The lifting of tax exemptions on 13th month pay was also proposed.