House inquiry on fuel price disparity set

BACOLOD CITY ,Philippines — The House Committee on Energy has scheduled to hold a congressional inquiry on the disparity of the prices of fuel products between Bacolod and those in other regions either on the last week of July or the first week of August.

Representative Alfredo Abelardo "Albee" Benitez (3rd district, Negros Occidental), a committee member, said everything is ready for the inquiry in aid of legislation that will be conducted in this city.

At least six congressmen of the committee on energy, headed by Rep. Dina Abad, are expected to come here for the congressional inquiry, he said.

Early this month, upon resumption of the House session, Benitez filed a resolution for the holding of the inquiry to probe the disparity of fuel products ranging from P4 to P5 per liter.

He said the inquiry will also look into the alleged cartel among gasoline station owners based on the observation of the consumers' group here that the prices of gasoline products in the city are almost the same.

Benitez said the inquiry is geared towards a long range solution to the unabated increase of fuel products which is also affecting the cost of basic commodities that affect ordinary citizens.

While the Department of Energy is citing the transport cost of fuel products as the cause of the disparity, the difference is still considered costly by the business and the transport groups.

Benitez said that one solution to the unabated increase in prices of fuel products is the lowering, if not abolition, of the Value Added Tax on fuel.