A committee in the House of Representatives approved on Tuesday a bill that sets a P20 excise tax on every kilo of single-use plastic bags removed from the place of production or the Bureau of Customs warehouse where it was taken for storage after importation.
Rep. Joey Salceda, chairman of the House committee on ways and means, said House Bill 781 will not only generate funds for the government but will also discourage the use of plastic bags that have always been blamed for clogging waterways, thus causing floods during downpours.
Salcedo said that once signed into law, some P4.8 billion will be collected on the first year from its implementation alone.
He added that once enacted, seven centavos will be added to the cost of every plastic sando bag.
Only single-use plastic bags were included on the list of the pollutive materials to be taxed because imposing levies on other types of plastic packaging materials like sachets may trigger an increase in the price of food and basic commodities like shampoo and toothpaste.
“This is just the opening salvo. The next step is a tax on primary plastic packaging especially sachets since it accounts for 66 percent of solid waste and garbage,” Salceda said.
All of the revenue collected from the excise tax on single-use plastice bags will be given to the solid waste management fund provided under Section 46 of Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000.
At least 15 bills regulating or banning products made of single-use plastics have been pending before the House Committee on Ecology, while similar proposals are also being tackled in the Senate.
