House solon seeks tax exemptions for manufacture and sale of hybrid vehicles

MANILA, Philippines - Stressing the need to look for long-term solutions to the rising prices of gasoline, Muntinlupa City Rep. Rozzano Rufino B. Biazon on Friday called on the House of Representatives for the speedy deliberation of a measure he filed. In a press statement, he said that the government must play an active role in pushing for the widespread use of hybrid vehicles that use alternative fuels. "The use of compressed natural gas (CNG), an alternative fuel, has been pioneered in the country last year with the use of a few CNG passenger buses plying the Manila-Batangas route. The program accorded incentives to the companies who participated and will perhaps signal whether such a program can really take off on a larger scale," Mr. Biazon said. Because of the spiraling costs of oil in world market, Mr. Biazon called on the House committee on ways and means to fast track the approval of his proposed measure House Bill (HB) 51 or the "Alternative Fuel Vehicles Act," which has been pending since August last year. The proposed bill mandates that the State promote the manufacture, importation, sale, distribution, use and development of hybrid or alternative fuel vehicles in accordance to the objectives of Republic Act 8749 or the Clean Air Act. — Elizabeth T. Marcelo, BusinessWorld