Rafael Coscolluela, p rovincial government consultant on investment and promotions, trade and export development and inter-agency coordination,

is asking the Negros Occidental Sangguniang Panlalawigan and other local governments to express strong opposition to the proposed bill that would impose an excise tax of P10 per liter on sugar-sweetened beverages.

“The fate of our (sugar) industry is again threatened by this new measure. Please act quickly,” Coscolluela, a former Negros Occidental governor, said yesterday in an letter to the SP.

The bill, authored by Nueva Ecija Rep. Estrellita Suansing, inserts a new section, 150-A, in the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997 stating: “there shall be levied, assessed and collected on sugar-sweetened beverages per liter of volume capacity, an excise tax of P10.”

“The rate of tax imposed under this section shall be increased by four percent every year thereafter effective on Jan. 1, 2017 through Revenue Regulations issued by the Secretary of Finance.”

The bill defines a sugar-sweetened beverage as “a non-alcoholic beverage that contains caloric sweeteners/added sugar or artificial/non-caloric sweetener. It may be in liquid or solid mixture, syrup or concentrates that are added to water or other liquids to make a drink.”

“Our sugar industry – and all consumers of sugar sweetened beverages for that matter – will be adversely affected by the proposed excise tax”, Coscolluela said in a letter to the Negros Occidental Sangguniang Panlalawigan yesterday.

It looks like this is being railroaded by the authors, he said.

In the meantime, Representatives Alfredo Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3 rd District), Pryde Teves (Neg. Or., 3 rd District) and Gerry Treñas (Iloilo City) are trying to stop it but they will need support from other congressmen, he said.

“I think it is important that the Provincial Board and our local governments express strong opposition to this proposed measure,” Coscolluela said.

He asked local governments in Negros Occidental to submit resolutions in opposition and send them to the congressmen of the province so that they will take up the cudgels when voting takes place soon.*CPG

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