Tax Reforms

TRAIN-2: The Sequel Makes Things Worse

August 13, 2018

by Sonny Africa (Updated September 10, 11:57pm) The Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Package 2 (TRAIN-2) recently approved by the House of Representatives (HOR) on third and final reading with 187 voting in its favor, 14 against, and 3 abstentions, increases corporate profits at the expense of Filipinos. TRAIN-2 was renamed Tax Reform for […]

Group refutes government’s defense of TRAIN

July 23, 2018

In a consumer forum held in anticipation of the third State of the Nation Address, research group IBON debunked the Duterte administration’s avid defense of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law. The group said that contrary to government’s pronouncements, the tax program is not beneficial to the poor majority of Filipinos and […]

TRAIN worsens burden of inflation on poor – IBON

June 7, 2018

Almost 18 million Filipino families are already hard-pressed to survive on incomes below the family living wage of Php30,000 per month estimated by IBON Research group IBON said that higher prices as reflected in the accelerating May 2018 inflation bears heavily on the poor, and that the recently passed Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion […]

One-fourth of increase: TRAIN aggravates oil price hikes–IBON

May 24, 2018

Government is wrong in downplaying the contribution of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) law on recent big-time oil price hikes, research group IBON said. The price of fuel products combined with the TRAIN increased since year-end 2017 to Php10.20 per liter for diesel, Php11.41 for kerosene, and Php15.14 for gasoline this week. […]

TRAIN-induced price increases are permanent—IBON

May 10, 2018

The inflation spike marks the start of increases​ driven by the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN)​ in the prices of basic goods and services for the next three years, research group IBON said. Further inflationary surges are likely to happen in 2019 and 2020 when the next two rounds of additional taxes on […]

First quarter of TRAIN: A preview of the worse to come for the poor

April 20, 2018

Nanay Inday joins the many ordinary folk in bearing the brunt of price hikes upon the January 2018 implementation of the first package of the Duterte administration’s Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN). A resident of the urban poor community in San Roque North Triangle, she laments that there are no longer Php5.00 bundles […]

Greater burden due to TRAIN

April 9, 2018

While the change in global oil prices and peso depreciation were factors in recent inflation, TRAIN also already increased the prices of oil products, sugar sweetened beverages and other goods and services. The public has been feeling the weight of price hikes as early as January.

January inflation partially due to TRAIN—IBON

March 2, 2018

No cash transfers to cover January inflation, with prices going even higher in the months and years to come The Department of Finance (DOF) said that January inflation was not caused by the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) law. Research group IBON however points out that the new tax program definitely contributed to […]

Slow TRAIN cash transfers highlight govt’s insensitivity–IBON

February 27, 2018

The poor will get relief about three months into suffering TRAIN-induced price increases with millions of others only getting it much later  Research group IBON said that the slow implementation of the Duterte administration’s social mitigation measures including its cash subsidies highlights how these are just an afterthought to cover up how the Tax Reform […]