SC hands TROs on toll VAT, expressways hikes By Benjamin B. Pulta and Aytch S. de la Cruz 08/14/2010

Palace plays the blame game, slams GMA for toll VAT ‘law’ non-implementation SC hands TROs on toll VAT, expressways hikes By Benjamin B. Pulta and Aytch S. de la Cruz 08/14/2010 Two restraining orders have been handed down by Supreme Court (SC) Chief Justice Renato Corona, effectively stopping the scheduled toll rate increases in the country’s expressways next week and the imposition of the 12 percent expanded value added tax (eVAT) on toll fares. Malacañang did not hide its disappointment at the high court’s issuance of the Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) on the implementation of the eVAT on the toll fare, but quickly laid the blame on the Arroyo administration that had issued two Memorandum Circulars (MCs) in 2005 and 2009 on the implementation of the eVAT on toll fares. Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda insinuated that President Aquino did the right thing, as his administration was merely implementing Arroyo’s MCs on the VAT imposition. “Why they (Arroyo administration) haven’t imposed the VAT on toll is the biggest question since it was very clear that the BIR said ‘let’s collect taxes on the VAT on toll’. So now that we are implementing it, we’re being perceived as being persistent on the imposition of these taxes when in fact it has been there since 2005,” Lacierda argued. Lacierda insisted that the motorists and the general public should understand that the Aquino administration acted all the while in “good faith” in ordering the imposition of the 12-percent VAT on toll..... MORE Source:  The Daily Tribune URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20100814hed1.html

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