Poe calls for suspension of fuel excise tax
Senator Grace Poe on Wednesday called for the suspension of fuel excise tax to cushion the public from the impact of rising prices.
Poe issued that statement as she called on the Light Rail Transit Line 1 board and public utility vehicle operators to consider suspending fare hikes.
READ: Looming MRT, LRT fare hike ‘insensitive’, ‘unwarranted’ – Bayan Muna
“Para sa akin, sana kung pwede pang ipagpaliban ng kaunti, kasi sabay-sabay yung pagtaas ng presyo ng transportasyon at bilihin (I hope they can postpone it in view of the successive price increases recently),” Poe told reporters in a chance interview.
“Hindi naman siguro nila ikakalugi, siguro pwedeng pag-isipang mabuti ng DOTr (I think they have nothing to lose if they will think about this more carefully),” she added.
The suspension of the excise tax on fuel is an option being considered, she said.
“Mayroon talagang alternatibo na isuspinde muna yung buwis sa krudo para hindi na masyadong mabigatan din yung ating mga kababayan, sana gawin (There’s really an alternative to suspending the tax on crude oil so it won’t be too much of a burden to the public),” she said.
The Light Rail Manila Corporation said on Tuesday that the LRT-1 is planning to implement a fare hike of between P5 to P7.
Jeepney drivers and operators have also called for a fare hike amid soaring oil prices and heavy traffic. /ee
READ: DOF: Gov’t cannot suspend fuel excise taxes under TRAIN
