By Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian
As chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means, I am pushing for an inter-agency task force to lead the fight against widespread illicit trade in excisable goods, especially cigarettes and vape products.
There is a need for a coordinated effort to keep the youth from getting enticed into vaping.
I am set to file a resolution calling for the creation of an inter-agency body, to be led by the Department of Trade and Industry and tasked with conducting a market analysis to recommend concrete policies.
If we don’t arrest this problem, mas maraming bata ang papasok sa e-cigarettes. We need to change the consumption habits of the young dahil ito ang papatay sa kanila.
Data shows that over 120,000 adolescents took up the habit of vaping even though they had no previous smoking experience.
I am willing to support the provision of funding for the inter-agency body. We need to sound the alarm bells and we hope to secure multi-year funding so we can create sustainability.
In this regard, the Senate Committee on Ways and Means will no longer tackle the provisions related to cigarettes in House Bill (HB) 11360, or the Excise Tax for Tobacco Products.
The committee has already conducted three hearings on the measure, with specific recommendations aimed at curbing illicit trade.
Lowering taxes won’t curb illicit trade; stronger enforcement will. The most recent hearing focused on vape smuggling, especially since it’s one of the reasons vaping has become so accessible to the youth.
We will not have any way of tackling the increase in taxation on vaping products. This is the only measure right now in the Committee that deals with the taxation of vaping products.
Healthcare groups warn that HB 11360’s tobacco tax rollback provision could be used in bicam to justify lowering cigarette taxes — a major concern for public health.
I will not agree to include that cigarette provision in the bicam report.
