Sec. Teves to discuss with BIR plaints vs. issuing taxi receipts

CEBU, Philippines - Department of Finance Secretary Margarito Teves assured operators of taxis in Cebu that he will give them feedback when he will be able to talk with the Bureau of Internal Revenue in Manila, where the operators passed a position paper opposing the on the implementation of the taxi receipts.

During a meeting yesterday with different transport groups in Cebu where Teves was the guest speaker, transport leaders aired out their concern regarding the order for them to purchase the meters with receipts.

Different members of the Cebu Confederation of Transport Operators and Drivers Inc. said that the new meter costs between P16 to 18 thousand each which is quite expensive and takes out a lot from their daily income. which is still divided by the operators and the drivers.

They said that they wish to have the receipts made manually and they would not have any problem if their customers would ask from them.

One of the operators, Richard Cabucos, said that the taxi metering receipt is confusing and that they are really against it.

He said that the Supreme Courts order stated that they need to satisfy the needs of the public and their customers.

Cabucos said that they could still do this without the metering receipt because if their customers would request for a receipt then they would be ready to issue it manually.

The group said that they went to Manila to pass a request to BIR already, but Teves said that he still has to talk to the head of BIR and also wait for the recommendation of their office as to what to do.

Teves said that since this was already decided then they would have to respect the law and follow the process.

He said though that they will look in to other means to have a more practical approach to help all the people. 

Also the groups stated that the prices of the oil should uniform because as what they have observed, prices here and in the other provinces in Luzon and Mindanao are not the same.

Teves assured them that they will be looking in to the matter and getting all the needed data from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. — AJ de la Torre/NLQ (THE FREEMAN)