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[av_heading heading=’ Transport group warns of TRAIN fare hike ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=” av-medium-font-size-title=” av-small-font-size-title=” av-mini-font-size-title=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=”]
BY CAROLYN JANE ABELLO
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ILOILO City ā The Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) of the Duterte administration will likely result to higher public transportation fare, according to a militant transport group.
TRAIN is the first package of the Comprehensive Tax Reform Program of the government. Among others, it imposes excise tax on petroleum products.
The tax on petroleum would surely jack up transport fare, said Edgar Salarda, president of the Pinag-isang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Operators Nationwide (Piston) in Panay Island.
Under TRAIN, diesel fuel will be imposed the following staggered excise tax:
* P2.50 per liter this year
* P4.50 per liter in 2019
* P6 per liter in 2020 and onwards
For regular and unleaded premium gasoline, the staggered excise tax is as follows:
* P7 per liter this year
* P9 per liter in 2019
* P10 per litter in 2020 and onwards
Salarda said not only the cost of fuel would increase but also the prices of basic commodities.
Poor drivers and their families would suffer, he said.
While it is true that under TRAIN personal income tax rates will be adjusted to shift the burden off lower-income segments toward the rich, Salarda said this would be useless because prices of goods would increase.
āBiskan libre ka sa income tax, iguon ka gid sang ginpatong nila,āĀ he said.
Piston-Panay months ago filed a petition for an P8 minimum fare for jeepneys but they have yet to hear of any developments from the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, said Salarda.
With TRAIN now, Piston and other transport groups may be forced to file another petition for a fare increase, he said.
Salarda also did not discount the possibility of staging protests against TRAIN.
President RodrigoĀ DuterteĀ signed the TRAIN law on Dec. 19, 2017. It aims to raise the bulk of needed funds for the governmentās ambitious infrastructure drive, the P8.44-trillion 2017-2022 āBuild, Build, Buildā program./PN
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