Lawmakers want road users tax in budget

MANILA, Philippines - Two Mindanao-based lawmakers want the road users tax collected from motorists included in the annual budget.

Under House Bill 4299, Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Rufus Rodriguez and younger brother Abante Mindanao partylist Rep. Maximo Rodriguez Jr. seek to amend Republic Act 8794 or “An Act Imposing a Motor Vehicle User’s Charge on Owners of All Types of Motor Vehicles and for Other Purposes."

Rodriguez said with the enactment of RA 8794 in 2000, the government was estimated to have been able to collect P90.7 billion from 2001 to December 2012, the amount more commonly known as the Motor Vehicle User’s Fund.

“The average annual collection was at around P7 billion.  However, there were reports that as of the end of 2012, only P10.2 billion remained of the fund,” Rodriguez said.

On the other hand, the younger Rodriguez said the fund is supposed to be used exclusively for road maintenance and the improvement of the road drainage, installation of adequate and efficient traffic lights and road safety devices and for air pollution control.

The fund is now at the disposal of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC).

Under their proposal, Section 7 of RA 8794 is amended to include the phrase “as may be determined by Congress.”

It also inserts the phrase “and form part of the general fund of the Philippines to be appropriated by Congress in the Annual General Appropriations Act.”

The measure deletes Section 8 of Republic Act 8794 on Status of the Special Funds. - Dennis Carcamo