Senate passes sin tax bill, House to adopt this version: Sotto

June 4, 2019

The House of Representatives is poised to adopt the Senate approved sin tax bill, which will impose higher excise tax on tobacco products.

In a radio interview interview over DZMM early Tuesday, Senate President Vicente Sotto III said the Upper House has passed the Senate Bill 2233, about six days after President Rodrigo Duterte certified the bill's passage as urgent.

"As we passed it on third reading last night, since it was certified urgent, the House was waiting to adopt (the bill)," Sotto said.

"If they weren't able to adopt it last night, they can still ratify it today, if there is still something that is needed to be changed, or they can just adopt the Senate version. We will know later if they will adopt it or not but definitely within today it will surely be passed," he added.

Sotto said the bill will apply additional taxes on cigarettes, e-cigarettes, and heated tobacco products such as vape. He said the bill aims to clarify where the collected taxes on tobacco products will go.

"It will be confined on cigarettes, e-cigarettes and heated tobacco or vape because as of the moment those (e-cigarettes and vape) doesn't have tax yet. Also included are (tobacco products) that were smuggled or imported from abroad by the manufacturers," he said.

The bill will add ten percent excise tax in these products.

"From P35 it will become P45 as of its effectivity on January 1, 2020, which will also give time to the tobacco industry to prepare. Then additional P5 will be added every year for the next four years," Sotto clarified.

The House and Senate is expected to reconcile the final version of the bill within this day, the last session of the 17th Congress.

Once the bill has been finalized, a copy will be sent to the palace for review and approval of Duterte. Cristina Eloisa Baclig/DMS