The party-list group Anakalusugan has called on Health Secretary Francisco Duque to hasten the removal of the 12-percent expanded value-added tax on other maintenance medicines.
“We welcome the removal of the VAT on maintenance medicines for diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol. But there are other maintenance medications that also need to be VAT exempt,” Anakalusugan said in a statement.
Duque himself admitted that there is a need to expand the coverage of the VAT exemption to include other maintenance medicines.
“We are sensitive as well to the clamor of certain quarters especially of those cancer patients whose medications can run up to billions of pesos and can be economically devastated,” the Health chief said.
Anakalusugan likewise urged drugstores to comply with the VAT exemption policy or face possible charges.
“The law must be followed as strictly as possible to avoid unnecessary violations,” the group said.
Earlier, the health advocacy group also urged the government to consider making vitamins VAT free.
“We should look at health not just from a prescriptive point of view but from preventive as well. This is why making vitamins more accessible for Filipinos is just as crucial as ensuring that our people are able to take their maintenance medicines,” Anakalusugan said.
The group cited a study undertaken by the World Health Organization in 2016 which classified the Philippines as one of the top countries where less than 30 percent of the population have access to essential drugs.
“This means almost 70 percent of Filipinos are deprived of the medicines they need. Removing the VAT on vitamins and all maintenance medicines will also bring down Filipinos’ out-of-pocket expenditure for medicines,” Anakalusugan said.