Philippines: NTA Lists Agri-projects for Tobacco Farmers in Ilocos

Source from:  Philippine Information Agency  04/28/2014

Administrator Edgardo D.  Zaragoza of National Tobacco Administration (NTA) said only expenditures  supported by specific appropriation in the General Appropriation Act (GAA) will be allowed for funding from the tobacco excise tax.

In line with RA 7171 or "Tobacco Excise Tax Law" and  RA 8240 or "Sin Tax," Zaragoza   urged Local Government Units (LGU's) to submit specific listing of programs and projects to be funded from  their tobacco tax shares in time for the Department of Budget's (DBM)  budget preparation schedule July 2014.

"These  tobacco  excise tax  programs and projects should be lifted from the master plan or Roadmap for the Philippine Tobacco Industry," the NTA official stressed.

He said the DBM requested the NTA for a listing of programs and projects that may be implemented through different programs under RA 7171 and RA 8240 as vital inputs to their screening and evaluation of the submission of the beneficiary LGUs.

Zaragoza said the agency has prepared initial listing of programs and projects that were identified during the series of consultative conferences with local officials, tobacco farmers, and other industry stakeholders in the tobacco producing provinces.

Proposed programs include infrastructure projects such as farm-to-market roads, roads and bridges, barangay centers or tobacco information centers, day care centers, nursery schools, sports facilities, agri-Pinoy retail stores, bagsakan centers and farming community household water system.

Livelihood projects particularly the development of alternative farming system to enhance farmers income such as Integrated livestock farming system,  hog fattening, goat and sheep production, cattle fattening project, vegetable production, dragon fruit production and  other community based- processing programs.
 
Cooperative projects that will enhance better quality of products, increase productivity, guarantee the market and as a whole increase farmers income such as tobacco contract growing system, communal irrigation system, organic fertilizer production, processing of bamboo products, small water impounding and small diversion dam.

Agro-industrial projects that will enable tobacco farmers to be involved in the management and subsequent ownership of projects such as post  harvest and secondary processing like cigarette manufacturing and by product utilization like curing barn construction, bulk curing project, communal solar dryer, rice mill or feed mill and slaughter house facilities. Enditem