It’s time to scrap TRAIN 1 and 2

I feel it’s about time for the administration to junk the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) program that the hare-brained congressmen in the House have rammed through Congress with TRAIN 1 already signed into law by President Duterte. Although the minimum daily wage has been increased to P750, it has not kept up with rising inflation which last month hit 6.4%, the highest level in nearly 10 years. Despite the call of several left-leaning congressmen to suspend TRAIN 1, I think they should scrap it all together.

Many of our middle-class income earners have had to tighten their belts because of rising prices due to inflationary effects. Even my family has had to adjust our weekly marketing budget due to rising prices of commodities like food, water and oil and gasoline. Many of us are already suffering due to inflation. Can you imagine how are poor in the metro and provinces coping out? They live from hand to mouth and some eat only once a day. That’s the effect of TRAIN 1, higher cost of living.

The President should tell his minions in Congress to repeal TRAIN 1 instead its merely suspending its implementation. It has nothing to alleviate the hardship and misery that it brought on the people.

Now that he is back from his foreign travel to Israel and Jordan, Duterte should focus on the rising prices of goods instead of his politicking style that could cost his party to lose the 2019 national elections.

Anakpawis Rep. Ariel Casilao has said that the Duterte administration should decisively stop rising inflation by repealing RA No. 10963 (TRAIN 1). According to him, the pre-TRAIN price of rice was P43 to P48 per kilo and is now P50 to P55 while in some areas of Mindanao P70 per kilo. He said despite the fact that NFA rice is available at only P27 per kilo every family can only buy from three to five kilos from NFA outlets, it costs even more considering travel time by bus or jeepney.

“Food inflation of 8.5 percent will make millions of Filipinos poorer since 60 to 70 percent of their household expenses goes to food,” the Congressman said. He said Duterte had the gall to persecute opposition politicians while oblivious of the people’s misery with which I perfectly agree.

Several economists have called for the suspension of TRAIN. One of them said the administration and its allies in Congress should not only suspend TRAIN but junk TRAIN 1 and 2 as well. “I hope they consider the impact of the recent inflation numbers,” he said.

They have to consider how people are being affected by inflation and how it will be exacerbated by TRAIN 1 and 2. It will not only result in revenue and job losses.

Let’s junk TRAIN 1 and 2 completely. It’s not worth our time and effort. There are more important issues the administration should focus on like criminality, drugs and graft and corruption.