Balita: Fuel price hikes show relevance of Isko’s proposed cut on excise tax

THE latest string of gasoline and diesel price increases has placed more relevance to the proposed cuts by Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko” Moreno Domagoso in the excise taxes on petroleum products and electricity, according to Senatorial Candidate Carl E. Balita.

Balita made the assertion in Calapan, Oriental Mindoro, last Thursday after reporters asked him what legislation, if any, could be enacted to balance the call of tricycle drivers for a fare hike and the calls of commuters to hold off fare hikes amid the incessant rise in fuel prices.

“Maganda ’yung programa ni [Mayor Isko) nat at angg al in ni ya’ yung excise tax kasi kontrolado naman ng gobyerno ang excise tax. Malulugi ang gobyerno, totoo ’yun, pero naibalik naman sa tao, at yung pera umiikot sa tao,” Balita said. [The mayor’s proposal to remove excise tax is good; it’s the government that controls the excise tax. The government will lose money, true, but it would be returned to the people, and the money will circulate among the people.]

“Hindi kai lang anangb at as na specific to a particular group kasi pwede naman na ’yung batas na ’yon, tanggalin mo lang ’yung tax, at ga ga winni y or me, ab ae pa ti koryente natin ay bababa. Pamasahe sa tricycle, pam as a he saint er-island crafts, lahat bababa dahil lamang sa isang desisyon na tanggalin mo muna, magparaya muna ang pamahalaan para ’yung pera, umikot muna sa tao,” explained Balita added. [There is no need for a law specific to a particular group because in the law, it’s possible: you just remove the tax. And [Mayor Isko] will do it and even our electricity bill will go down; tricycle fare, inter-island crafts fare: all will go down when government decides to let go of the money.]

Moreno has continuously vowed that, if elected president, one of the first economic policies his government would introduce is to cut taxes on oil products and electricity by 50 percent as this will translate into immediate and tangible economic relief for ordinary Filipinos, particularly farmers, fishermen and public utility vehicle drivers and operators.

The 47-year-old presidential aspirant pointed out that the positive effects of the tax cut on fuel will be immediately felt by operators and drivers of PUVS who will now forego their demand for fare adjustment, which would be detrimental to the commuting public, mostly the poor and middle class.

Moreno said bringing down the cost of fuel would also bring down the cost of food production, especially rice, raise the income of farmers and fisherfolk, bring down the prices basic commodities and sustain food production.

In the same manner, Moreno said that a 50 percent tax cut on electricity would mean more food on the table and more money to spend on basic needs, including medicines.