Car owners are getting a triple whammy of taxes on motor vehicles, fuels and most recently, car registration fees. So, how the collected money is disbursed? Has the Road Board spent the funds to improve local roads and deliver better journeys? These issues are being questioned by many Filipinos.
What has been on the news is that House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez has filled a bill (also known as House Bill 6236) that seeks to push for the abolition of the mentioned agency to avoid the misadventures, misuse and mishandling of the road user’s tax.
Under Republic Act 8794, funds from the road user’s tax should benefit drivers by ensuring their safety and are spent on vital equipment that will help local government units solve effectively traffic congestion, according to Alvarez.
The Road Board is tasked to focus on road user’s tax control and prudent tax management.
The bill also states that part of the road funds shall be remitted to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) for attempts to protect our environment
Over the years (from 2001 to 2012), the collected road user’s tax by the agency has amounted to a large number of Php 90.72 billion. However, where are the collected funds going to be spent is still a big question mark in Alvarez’s mind. Perhaps there have been signs of tax-related illegal activities here.
Until now, how Php 1.495 million road user’s tax collected from 2001 to 2010 by the Bureau of Treasury and the Land Transportation Office was inconsistently disbursed is still being questioned. In 2013, there were also discrepancies up to Php 1.66 billion between the 2 mentioned agencies.
Under the bill, all the road user’s taxes collected shall be assigned to the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) that will continue to implement their ongoing traffic safety projects and measures.
The bill also states that part of the road funds shall be remitted to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) for attempts to protect our environment.
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