The House Committee on Ways and Means yesterday started its initial deliberation on a bill imposing excise tax on single-use plastic bags.
Nueva Ecija Rep. Estrellita Suansing insisted that excise tax should be imposed on single-use plastic bags to address the alarming plastic pollution in the country, citing that every day, almost 48 million shopping bags are used throughout the Philippines.
“The mass consumption of plastic in the Philippines further magnifies the flooding problem that Filipinos experience, especially during the typhoon season. To reduce its costly environmental impact, several countries have already imposed taxes on plastic bag,” she said.
During a presentation, she batted for the passage of House Bill 178 which seeks to impose R10 excise tax for every kilo of single-use plastic bag removed from the place of production or released from the Bureau of Customs.
“By imposing this levy, this bill endeavors to encourage the exploration and utilization of environment-friendly alternatives to single-use plastic bags,” Suansing said.
“Furthermore, this proposed measure aims to generate additional revenues for the government which could be used to finance programs and projects to counter the harmful effects of plastic pollution in the Philippines,” she added. (Charissa M. Luci-Atienza)
