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Projected increases in prices of selected agricultural products once VAT hike is approved

Anti-VAT activists raise price alert

if 12 percent VAT is approved

Beef to reach P 260 per kilo, Pork P 180 per kilo and Chicken P 120 per kilo



Contrary to Malacañang’s claim that prices of agricultural products would not go up even if Congress passed the 2 point increase in the value added tax (VAT) from 10 to 12 percent, the militant group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) said established cartels and monopolies in the agricultural sector would use the hike in VAT as an excuse to raise prices of agricultural products by 20 percent.



Pamalakaya national Fernando Hicap, who earlier predicted that price of galunggong per kilo would increase from P 100 to P 115 to P 120 per kilo, presented a run down of prices on selected agricultural products and how the new 12 percent VAT would affect the price movement in the market.



Agricultural

Products Current Prices New Prices if 2 % VAT hike is approved



Pork P 150 per kilo P 180 per kilo

Beef P 220 per kilo P 264 per kilo

Chicken P 100 per kilo P 120 per kilo

Galunggong P 100 per kilo P 120 per kilo

Hasa-hasa P 120 per kilo P 144 per kilo

Bisugo P 120 per kilo P 144 per kilo

Bangus P 100 per kilo P 120 per kilo

Onion P 60 per kilo P 72 per kilo

Tomato P 40 per kilo P 48 per kilo

Potato P 60 per kilo P 72 per kilo

Carrot P 60 per kilo P 72 per kilo

Cabbage P 50 per kilo P 60 per kilo

Eggplant P 25 per kilo P 30 per kilo

Cooking Oil

(long neck) P 40 bottle P 48 per bottle

Cooking Oil

(lapad) P 20 bottle P 24 per bottle



“ The 20 percent increase will reflect the cost spent for the transportation and other intermediary expenses used in delivering these agricultural products to the market. This might include syndicated overpricing adjustments being carried by trading monopolies and cartels in the agricultural sectors that normally dictate the prices of products,” Hicap added.



Pamalakaya said fisherfolk, farmers and petty producers of agricultural products will not benefit from any increase in the prices of agricultural products because their product are hostage by underpricing activities of big agricultural producers and buyers.



The left-leaning fisherfolk alliance said the Malacañang backed 20 percent increase in the present VAT is anti-rural producers, anti-consumers, grossly regressive and highly inflammatory that merit the national condemnation and outright rejection across the country.



Pamalakaya is expected to join the February 16 nationally coordinated mass action against the VAT increase. The big rally will be spearheaded by the newly formed Kontra-KulimVAT, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, Kilusang Mayo Uno, Gabriela, Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas and other allied militant groups.



“ This just the beginning of the escalating protest against the VAT hike project of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and the IMF-WB oligarchs. The showdown has just started”, the group added. #

posted by: GerryCorpuz at 10:42 | link | comments |

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