New law gives senior citizens more prime goods

The Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010 has added more prime commodities that older people can buy at a discount, the departments of Agriculture and Trade and Industry said in a statement Monday. The law, also known as Republic Act 9994, added “prime commodities" such as fresh fruits, flour, dairy products, onions, garlic, geriatric diapers, herbicides, poultry, swine, and cattle feed, veterinary products for poultry, swine and cattle, construction materials such as nipa shingle, plyboard, nails, steel wires, electrical supplies, light bulbs, and batteries, according to the statement. “More than 20 items were added in the original list under the old law (RA 9257 of 2003), which previously covered basic items like rice, corn, fresh and dried fish, fresh eggs, fresh vegetables, root crops, salt, firewood, charcoal, and candles," the department said. Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala and Trade Secretary Gregory Domingo on Oct. 15 signed a joint administrative order enforcing provisions of the new law, the Agriculture Department said. The implication of RA 994 is that senior citizens can now buy more food and basic items at a 5 percent discount, the statement said. Still, the new commodity items are not exempted from the 12 percent value added tax. “Each senior citizen can enjoy the 5 percent discount on said food and prime commodities, which however are not exempted from the VAT." The amount each senior citizen could buy has also been capped at P1,300 a week. Retailers exempted from the 5 percent discount under RA 9994 are stalls in food courts, food carts, food vendors, and sari-sari stores with a capital of less than P100,000, as well as public and private wet markets, talipapa and cooperative stores, the departments said. — VS, GMANews.TV