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Friday, March 18, 2005
Militant group joins nationwide protest
By Jimmy P. Abayon
ANAKBAYAN-Negros Oriental joined the nationwide anti-Value Added Tax (VAT) coordinated campaign with a protest action Monday at the amphitheatre of Silliman University.
The protest action was called in connection with the final deliberation in Congress of the proposed two-percent increase on VAT.
Springzeal Pherps Bacarro, president of Anakbayan-Silliman, said the Expanded Value Added Tax or House Bill 3555 was proposed by followers of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in Congress to expand the already expanded VAT to 12 percent from ten percent.
This means, Bacarro said, that most basic commodities will increase their prices like those of sardines, noodles, processed meat, coffee, bakery products, clothing, footwear, eating and drinking places, and telecommunications.
"A two percent VAT hike may sound like a little effort for the toiling Filipinos but actually a two percent increase is too much because most of the working Filipinos are earning below, minimum wage and these wages are expected to be stagnant for the next more or less five years," she said.
Furthermore, the Anakbayan leader said, VAT hike only impacts the honest taxpayers, the ordinary consumers, the most because big corporations can still get away from their tax responsibilities plus foreign corporations and investors are enjoying tax moratorium and tax exemptions.
"In a year's time, prices will continuously double or even triple while people wait for their wages to rise for years," she added.
(March 17, 2005 issue)
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