MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Leni Robredo on Sunday warned of a “reverberating effect” if the government would not suspend the excise tax on fuel amid the consecutive oil price hikes in the country.
In her weekly radio program, Robredo said she already called for the suspension of excise tax on fuel as early as 2018. But the vice president said her proposal fell on deaf ears because she was part of the opposition.
“Actually, I sounded like a broken record. At that time, we were just one of the very few who commented about it. We’ve been calling for the suspension of excise tax on fuel since 2018,” she said.
Back then, Robredo called for the suspension of the full implementation of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Act that raised the excise tax on fuel.
On Sunday, she renewed her call for the suspension of the excise tax.
“It will not only affect those who directly use gasoline but it will also add to the expenses on moving goods and services,” she said. “Ultimately, goods will become more expensive.”