VOL. 10 ISSUE 203 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, JANUARY 14-15, 2018
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Serving a seamless society
COMPLIANT. A trash collector commissioned by Abreeza Mall segregates recyclable items from other wastes at the garbage collection area of the mall on Saturday. Abreeza Mall is one of the establishments in Davao City which is strictly complying with the city government’s waste segregation ordinance. Lean Daval Jr.
NO DRASTIC RISE
DTI exec says on prices of commodities T
he Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) will not significantly impact on the prices of basic commodities, Trade secretary Ramon M. Lopez said.
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Of bikes and heroes
Lopez led the price monitoring at supermarkets of Victoria Plaza and Gaisano Mall of Davao on Friday to see if TRAIN has any effect on the movement of prices of basic commodities. Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez monitors prices of basic commodities at a mall in Davao City on January 12, 2018. MindaNews photo by ANTONIO L. COLINA IV He allayed fears that prices will shoot up with the
implementation of the tax reform program due to the P2.50 per liter excise tax on petroleum which is expected to cause an increase in transport cost. He said the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) will continue to monitor the supermarkets across the country to ensure they won’t sell goods beyond the suggested retail price. He said the manufacturers promised not to increase
prices of commodities since the hike brought about by the new tax rates is negligible and will increase prices only by 5 centavos. He said the 5-centavo increase would not be felt by consumers since manufacturers and supermarkets would lower their prices due to competition. “Wala talaga syang effect. Ang impact on gasoline hindi ganun ka laki, napakaliit lang (There’s really no effect. The impact of gasoline is not really big. It has very little effect),” he said. DTI 11 director Maria Belenda Ambi said prices of basic commodities should not
exceed 10 percent of the SRP, otherwise they will issue storeowners a show cause order to explain the excessive hike. She said the hike in prices will be evident on cola drinks since these are not basic and prime commodities. “We can opt not to consume cola,” she said. Meanwhile, Mindanao Business Council chair Vicente Lao said the tax reform program will allow the government to benable the Philippines to keep pace with its ASEAN neighbors. MBC chair Vicente T. Lao said TRAIN will allow the government to boost the budget
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