Farmers have say on sin-tax revenue

The Philippines’ National Tobacco Administration (NTA) has begun consulting tobacco farmers’ groups in northern Luzon about the revision of the regulations governing the use of cigarette excise tax revenues, according to a story in the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

The revisions are apparently necessary following changes that were made in January last year to the way in which excise was applied: with the introduction of the so-called sin-tax laws (Republic Act 10351).

Excise tax collection from tobacco was said to have increased from PHP32 billion in 2012 to PHP67 billion in 2013.

The NTA’s chief, Edgardo Zaragoza, said his office was working with the Department of Finance and the Department of Budget and Management to revise the IRR (implementing rules and regulations) to ensure that excise taxes from cigarettes would directly benefit tobacco farmers.

“They [the tobacco farmers] were telling us many things about what should be done,” said Zaragoza, who met with officials and members of the National Federation of Tobacco Farmers’ Associations and Co-operatives in San Fernando City on Saturday. “And we are compiling all these.”