Friday, November 04, 2005 (Philippines)

A driver balances the passengers as he prepares to drive his modifed motorcycle locally called "Skylab," which can accommodate an average of eight passengers with bags. (AP photo) CONCERNED government agencies in Davao City have tightly watched prices of basic necessities and prime commodities to ensure retailers and unscrupulous traders will not use the Reformed Value-added Tax (RVAT) Law as an excuse to cheat consumers. From a weekly submission of report, the city's price monitoring council is now mandated to submit its price monitoring report on a daily basis following speculations the RVAT Law implementation will cause prices to skyrocket and be burdensome to consumers. [full story]