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Monday, August 04, 2008
Congress to decide on e-VAT matters
MANILA -- Malacañang is leaving it to Congress and the economic managers to decide whether the expanded value added tax (e-VAT) on the systems loss charge for electricity could be scrapped or reduced.
Arroyo Watch: Sun.Star blog on President Arroyo
Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Sergio Antonio Apostol said since a bill has already been filed in the House of Representatives, they are leaving it to the lawmakers and the economic managers to debate upon.
Apostol said Malacañang, particularly President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, has maintained that the e-VAT is an important source of revenue and the economic managers would have to study how such a law, if passed, would impact the country's finances.
"Let Congress handle this... Let the economic team answer this. Let's just wait for the result. The President is very firm that e-VAT is very important especially for our pro-poor programs but on this particular bill on systems loss, I don't know how our economic team will respond to this," he said.
"Let's see if this will be passed or not. We will not interfere," he added.
Albay Representative Al Francis Bichara filed a bill pushing for the exemption of system losses of distribution utilities from the e-VAT and from gross receipts collected from consumers.
Bichara said the charging of e-VAT on system loss adds up to the already high electricity rates in the country.
Isabela Representative Giorgidi Aggabao likewise filed a bill seeking to amend Republic Act (RA) 7832 or the Anti-Electricity and Electric Transmission Lines/Materials Pilferage Act of 1994.
The bill forbids the collection of systems loss charges by any private electric utilities and rural electric cooperatives.
The bill also seeks to overturn the practice by the Manila Electric Company (Meralco) and other electric utilities of collecting the systems loss from their customers. (JMR/Sunnex)For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Manila. (August 4, 2008 issue)
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