Transport group asks for existing excise tax on petroleum products to be suspended

A transport group has called for the suspension of the existing excise tax on petroleum products a day after the government said that it will suspend the next tranche of fuel excise taxes, which was supposed to go into effect early next year.

In an interview on GMA News TV's News To Go on Monday, Pasang Masda spokesperson Obet Martin said that the soaring prices of petroleum products has taken its toll on the livelihood of jeepney drivers.

"Dapat ang suspendihin ng Pangulo, 'yung existing excise tax na in effect ngayon sapagkat talagang nahihirapan na po kami," Martin said.

"Ang aming pamasahe ay regulated ng board. Ang pagtataas ng presyo ng gasolina ay deregulated—any given time, pwedeng magtaas," he added.

His appeal came a day after the government announced that the next tranche of excise taxes on oil products, which had been scheduled to take effect in January, will be suspended in efforts to anchor inflation.

The existing excise tax went into effect in January this year.

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Petition for fare-hike

Martin acknowledged that the group's petition for a minimum fare hike of 3 pesos is unlikely to be granted.

"Yung aming hinihiling na tatlong piso [para] gawing P12, eh mukhang hindi magkakaroon ng realidad. Ganun man po, sabi ko kahit gawin ninyo nang piso—make it P10 sa first five kilometers sapagkat talagang napakabigat na," he said.

He added that during Pasang Masda's negotiations with the government officials, he implored them to implement the fare hike as soon as possible.

The transport group also called for the Department of Energy's rigorous probe on oil price hikes.

"Dapat po iniimbestigahan yan, hindi yung nabalitaan lang na nagkagiriian ang Amerika at China, tataas na lang bigla," Martin said. — Dona Magsino/BM, GMA News