‘Scrap tax on raw sugar’

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines – Some 1,000 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs), who are members of 12 farmer cooperatives in Negros Occidental, held a rally in front of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) office in Bacolod City last Friday to call for the scrapping of the one percent tax on raw sugar.

The ARBs blamed Revenue Regulation 11-2014 for the delay in the release and non-buying of their sugar from the mills for four weeks now.

The regulation imposes a one-percent withholding tax on raw sugar.

Rodolfo Arco, of Hacienda Dalayapan Cadiz City, said the non-release of their sugar compelled them to avail themselves of cash advances from their organization and cooperatives.

Arco said some of them were not able to pay for the hauling of their sugarcane due to BIR’s imposition of taxes on raw sugar.

He said thousands of ARBs all over the province are affected by the non-release and non-buying of sugar.

Jose Ric Cabrera, counsel for the local BIR office, said the bureau was merely implementing the law.

Cabrera said they will hold a dialogue with all stakeholders in the sugar industry including sugar planters, traders and the ARBs today to discuss Revenue Regulation 11-2014.

Diego Malacad, secretary general of United Negros Drivers and Operators Center, said they are supporting the ARBs as all Negrenses are affected by the BIR policy.