The House Committee on Ways and Means on Monday suspended the hearing on additional tobacco excise taxes, over issues regarding job security for tobacco workers and excessively high taxes for tobacco companies. This also raises excise taxes by nine percent for each succeeding year, instead of the four percent starting 2024. Marikina 2nd District Rep. Romero Quimbo has questioned DOF officials why an additional excise tax is necessary, despite barely a year after the TRAIN law took effect. We need additional revenue so it was discussed as well.) Earlier, tobacco companies blamed the excise taxes on tobacco products for the proliferation of illicit whites, or illegally-produced cigarettes, in the black market.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer November 26, 2018 10:41 UTC