Tulfo slams ‘anti-poor’ tax
MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Raffy Tulfo slammed what he described as the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR)’s “anti-poor” plan to impose taxes on junk food and other food items next year.
“Why is the BIR nitpicking the chichiryas (snacks) and wanting to tax them? This is very anti-poor,” Tulfo yesterday exclaimed in Filipino.
Tulfo said that poor families “would even eat chips as viands at times to feed their hungry stomachs.”
“If their goal is to raise more revenue for the public treasury from consumer products, why don’t they target luxury items such as food supplements, protein bars, energy bars, slimming drinks and even cosmetic products?” he added.
The Department of Finance is planning on imposing a P10 per 100 grams tax on pre-packaged foods, including confectioneries, snacks and desserts.
The Department of Health (DOH) reportedly approved the proposed tax measure to supposedly discourage consumers from buying junk food and prevent obesity and diabetes.
Tulfo pointed out that the DOH should prompt manufacturers to decrease the sodium content of the food products they are offering.
As an example, he cited the Singapore manufacturers who found low-sodium substitutes for processed food products that did not greatly affect the taste.
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