Single-use plastics, online ­transactions balak buwisan ng DOF

MANILA, Philippines — Upang makalikom ng karagdagang pondo at makatulong sa kalikasan, pinag-iisipan na ni Department of Finance (DOF) Secretary Benjamin Diokno na patawan ng buwis ang mga single-use plastics at mga online transactions.

“We are thinking of some possible tax on single-use plastics as this is part of our commitment to [address] climate change,” ani Diokno sa press conference pagkatapos ng pulong ng Development Budget and Coordination Committee’s (DBCC) noong nakaraang Biyernes.

Inihayag ni Diokno na kabilang ang Pilipinas sa halos 200 bansa na nakiisa sa Paris Agreement noong December 2015 na bawasan ang greenhouse gas emissions para mabawasan din ang pag-init ng temperatura ng mundo.

Sa United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) 2018 report, kasama ang Pilipinas sa top plastic polluters sa mundo.

Una nang isinusulong ni Diokno ang pagpapatupad ng tamang taxes sa streaming service payments at iba pang digital transactions para madagdagan ang pondo ng gobyerno.

Ikinatuwiran pa ni Diokno na nagbabayad din naman ng buwis tuwing bumibili ng produkto sa isang regular na tindahan.

“In response to recent developments and on the basis of fairness, we intend to tax online purchases because if you buy a product from a regular store, you pay tax, and I think we should also pay tax [on] online sales,” ayon sa kalihim.

Inihayag din ni Diokno na plano ng Marcos ­administration na gamitin ang natitirang dalawang ­packages ng Comprehensive Tax Reform Program (CTRP) ng nagdaang Duterte administration.

“There are two remaining packages out of that tax reform program. That’s packages 3 and 4. We intend to pursue packages 3 and 4. They are supposed to be revenue neutral, but they will significantly improve or simplify the tax system. So we are pushing for those,” ani Diokno.