Wednesday, November 02, 2005 (Philippines)

INNER CITY. Not only the dead are invisible. A man and his daughter wait for loose change on Colon St. (Sun.Star photo/Amper Campaña) Traders who will take advantage of the Reformed Value-Added Tax (RVAT) Law and unreasonably jack up prices of goods can expect to be embarrassed by the Cebu City Government, or worse, lose their business permits. The Cebu City Price Monitoring Council will convene tomorrow and check the immediate effects of the RVAT on basic commodities and other consumer goods, City Administrator Francisco Fernandez said. To help consumers cope with the additional taxes, Fernandez said they will focus on informing the public and merchants of the prevailing price ceiling of basic commodities, as monitored by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). [full story]