President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered the suspension of the unauthorized collection of “pass-through fees” on vehicles transporting goods, Malacañang said on Friday.
Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin signed Executive Order No. 41 which prohibited all local government units (LGUs) from charging fees on vehicles transporting goods through any national roads and other roads not constructed and funded by them.
“In the interest of public welfare, all LGUs are further strongly urged to suspend or discontinue the collection of fees such as, but not limited to, sticker fees, discharging fees, delivery fees, market fees, toll fees, entry fees, or Mayor’s Permit fees, that are imposed upon all motor vehicles transporting goods and passing through any local public roads constructed and funded by said LGUs,” the EO read.
“In order to uphold the welfare and advance the best interest of the Filipino people, it is the overarching policy of the administration to consolidate all essential components within the value and supply chain, and reduce the costs of food logistics, which play a pivotal role in effectively tempering the inflation rate in the country,” it added.
The EO covers sticker fees, discharging fees, delivery fees, market fees, toll fees, entry fees, and Mayor’s Permit fees.
According to EO 41, reducing transport and logistics costs is one of the pillars of the Marcos administration’s eight-point socioeconomic agenda.
The EO said the unauthorized imposition of toll fees has a “significant impact” on transportation and logistics costs which consumers often shoulder.
According to Malacañang, the EO will take effect immediately upon its publication in the Official Gazette or a newspaper of general circulation
Moreover, the Department of Interior and Local Government was tasked to secure copies of existing local ordinances on the collection of toll fees.
Various concerned government agencies were also directed to craft and issue guidelines for the implementation of the EO.
