Philippines: Sin Tax is not Evil, Tobacco Farmers Told

Source from:  Sun Star  11/29/2012

ANTI-SMOKING advocates on Thursday sought to enlighten tobacco farmers from the constant "lies" on the evils of the proposed sin tax law allegedly perpetrated by the cigarette companies.
 
The Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Alliance Philippines (FCAP) said it is hoping that the tobacco farmers would be clarified that the sin tax bill is not meant to put them out of their livelihood.
 
"The industry has kept farmers believe that their very lives depend on the survival of the tobacco business -- never mind if they are producing a product that is causing millions of deaths and diseases," said FCAP executive director Dr. Maricar Limpin in a statement.
 
"The tobacco industry is spreading lies in the guise of protecting tobacco farmers," she added.
 
On the contrary, the FCAP official noted that the measure also provides a program to help the would-be displaced farmers.
 
"The sin tax aims to help farmers rise from poverty as it allocates 15 percent of revenues collected as a safety net for tobacco farmers, who may wish to try alternative livelihoods such as food crop production," noted Limpin.
 
To recall, protest rallies against the sin tax bill have been mostly participated by tobacco farmers, especially those coming from the Northern Luzon.
 
The sin tax bill remains pending in Congress despite repeated inclusion in the Aquino administration's priority measures.
 
Meanwhile, the New Vois Association of the Philippines (NVAP) said it fully supports the sin tax bill being pushed in the Senate by Senator Franklin Drilon since it has "every Filipino's right to health in mind."
 
"We consider this a victory… This is a step closer to achieving the country's health goals," said NVAP president Emer Rojas.
 
He pointed how unitary structure in taxing cigarettes is one of the best provisions of the new sin tax measure, since it will ensure that all cigarette products will be inaccessible especially to the poor and the youth.
 
"This scheme will prevent smokers from downshifting to less expensive brands, thus assuring the reduction of smoking prevalence rates in the country," said Rojas.
 
To recall, the version of Senator Ralph Recto of a P20 billion revenue target received massive criticisms from the pro-sin tax groups, saying it sided with the proposal of the tobacco industry.

Last Tuesday, Drilon dropped the plan to use the committee report previously prepared by Recto and submitted a last-minute substitute sin tax bill, which has a target of P45 billion. Enditem