Recto wants 6-year moratorium on increase in gov't fees

Senate Minority Leader Ralph Recto has filed a bill seeking to stop the national and local governments from raising fees and charges on driver’s licenses, permits, other government documents, and public services within six years.

Recto said his proposed “Iwas Dagdag Singil at Bilis Serbisyo Act” is needed "in the meantime that the government pursues systems and procedures improvement for better delivery of government services."

"The government must impose a six-year moratorium on all increases in government fees and charges to provide relief for our countrymen who can barely afford to avail of these services,” the senator said in a press statement Friday.

He said what he is calling for is a moratorium on any hike in fees and not a rollback.

“This is without prejudice to refunds government agencies should grant the public like in the case of car registration stickers which have not been delivered,” he said.

Recto said that while public coffers are kept brimming partly due to collection from government fees and charges, the government has been frequently under fire for various complaints with regard to the inefficient delivery of public services.

"There have been numerous reports on the delays in the processing of clearances and in the release of documents and licenses. In the light of these criticisms regarding inadequate government services and coupled with the escalating increases in the cost of living, increasing the current rates for these fees and charges is not justifiable," he said.

Recto said the national government and local government units have been collecting more than P53 billion annually from fees derived in the regulation of certain activities such as the issuance of various licenses and permits, regulation of the different professions, and the issuance of passports and drivers' license, among others.

Of the amount, P36.406 billion was collected by the national government in 2015 alone from fees and charges for services rendered.

"The efficiency of our government employees in the collection of these fees and charges is truly admirable. It is our sincerest hope that they also show the same level of zealous efficiency in the delivery of these services," Recto said.

He said that World Bank, in its 2016 Report on ‘Ease of Doing Business,’ pegged the Philippines at 103rd place out of 185 economies, noted it takes an average of 29 days to obtain the necessary permits to start a business in the country.

"President Duterte, who is the former Mayor of Davao City, has always been proud of the fact that in Davao City it takes only 3 days to obtain permits from city hall," the senator said.

"If other local government units can perform a service in only 3 days, there should be no reason why other local government units and other national agencies cannot do the same," he added.

Recto said the fees and charges imposed for the delivery of these services is for the cost of producing them.

“The salaries of the government employees who are tasked to perform them are already paid for by the taxes we pay. Thus, there should be no disparity in efficiency among our agencies (even with the moratorium on fee hike)," he stressed. —Amita Legaspi/KBK, GMA News