By Jong
Cadion
PAGADIAN CITY,
Zamboanga del Sur (January 8, 2018) - The
Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Act was enacted last December
19, 2017 and took effect on January 1, 2018. It aims to overhaul the outdated
National Internal Revenue Code (NIRC) and increase everyone’s buying capacity.
The year
2018 naturally started with a different kind of boom - a public clamor over the
sudden increase in prices of goods affected by the TRAIN. In a public statement
released last January 4, 2018, Secretary Ramon Lopez of the DTI told the public
not to panic, as the TRAIN has minimal impact on the prices of goods. The Chief
also said that the agency doesn’t expect a drastic increase in the SRP but
expects a price change from the raw materials which will then affect the
finished product pricing. An example would be an increased price of meat would
affect canned meat products, wheat would affect flour, and flour will affect
bread prices.
However,
due to the agency’s mandate to ensure the availability and affordability of
basic necessities and prime commodities at all times, without prejudice to the
interest of businesses, the DTI-Zamboanga del Sur Provincial Office conducted
and intensified daily price monitoring starting January 5, 2018, to monitor the
direct effects of the TRAIN’s implementation to the prices of basic goods, if
any.
The monitoring
results suggest that there were no significant increases in the prices of goods
under the agency’s jurisdiction and that supplies are generally stable. The
agency also conducted a Dialogue today with the owners and managers of the
major supermarkets, groceries and retailers in the city to also hear what they
had to say. The dialogue was also attended by the Revenue District Officer of
the Bureau of Internal Revenue, Mr. Aminoding B. Macarampat, to further inform
them of the salient features of the new law. Also in the dialogue were Pagadian
City Consumers Association, Incorporated (PCCAI) President Ms. Luz Yañez and
Vice President for Mindanao of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry,
Inc. Ms. Mercedes Lourdes Quisumbing.
The
dialogue went well, as both sides agreed with matters pertaining to prices. The
owners unanimously agreed that they will wait for the SRP from their respective
suppliers or from the DTI before they will have to increase the prices of their
commodities under the agency’s jurisdiction. The products that were directly
affected by the price increases so far were the following; 1) powdered juices
which significantly increased from P6.00 to P16.00 at most or a P10.00
increase; 2) cigarette packs, which costs an additional P15.00-P20.00 per pack;
and 3) sweetened beverages with an approximate P6.00-P10.00 increase.
Provincial
Director Maria Socorro M. Atay of the DTI on the other hand, ensured the store
owners and managers that the agency will closely coordinate with them regarding
the updates in prices provided by manufacturers/producers at the national level
through information sharing from the National Price Coordinating Council down
to the local.
PD Atay also
said that the agency will continue to intensify the price monitoring, to
include establishments in growth center municipalities of the province.
Overall,
the agency believes that the benefits of the new law will outweigh the
disadvantages which will in turn redound to greater inclusive growth and shared
prosperity for all.
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