ASAHAN ang pagkakaroon ng bagong tax measures sa administrasyong Marcos ngayong taon partikular na ang karagdagang buwis sa sweetened beverages at junk food.

“The revenue measures of the DOF (Department of Finance). Their revenue measures for sweet and salty beverages were planned to kick in by 2025, but what they did is, they will advance it to 2024. So they have now, when the Congress opens, now until the end of the year, they will push for the new revenue measures,”ayon kay Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman sa Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum.

“Secretary Ben [Diokno] and the DOF team seem very positive on the package of said revenue measures,” ayon sa Kalihim.

Setyembre ng nakaraang taon, inanunsyo ng Department of Health (DOH) ang panukalang karagdagang buwis sa junk food at sweetened beverages, layon nito na tugunan ang obesity sa bansa at palakasin ang revenues para sa universal healthcare program.

“Specific details on the proposed additional tax measures are yet to be disclosed, but the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) is expecting P53.7 billion in additional revenues from the excise tax on sweetened beverages,” ayon sa ulat.

“For salty foods, they’re [DOF] still studying it,” sinabi ni Pangandaman.

“A 2020 study conducted by the National Tax Research Center (NTRC) showed that the country could raise as much as P72.97 billion from a 20% excise tax collection on junk food, P54.73 billion from 15%, and P36.48 billion from 10%,” ayon pa rin sa ulat.

Sinabi ng DOH, ang isang potensyal na revenues ay tutustusan ang Universal Healthcare Law, na automatically i- enroll ang lahat ng Filipino citizens sa ilalim ng National Health Insurance Program. (CHRISTIAN DALE)