The authorities in General Santos City come forward to help the tuna industry by allowing fishing operators to directly import their fuel requirements. Senior agriculture and fisheries officials announced the decision at the opening of the 10th National Tuna Congress. Agriculture Undersecretary Jesus Emmanuel M. Paras informed that the Agriculture department’s Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) is talking with the Department of Energy (DOE) in the move to allow direct fuel importation.
Paras told that they have started the process of identifying fishing companies and industry associations interested to take advantage of this opportunity. Stakeholders of the local tuna industry have been complaining of high prices of diesel and gasoline prices. He states that the tuna industry players will pass a resolution before the end of the congress asking the government for a P5 per liter subsidy on petroleum products.
Marfenio Y. Tan, chair of the tuna congress said the tuna fishing industry is the biggest consumer of fuel products in this part of the country, which has a requirement of 20 million liters a month. He added that as much as 70 percent of a regular fishing expedition goes to fuel consumption. He informed that the government is also working out a scheme with major oil company Petron for possible giving of discount to fishing industry players.
Representative Darlene Antonino Custodio of the First District of South Cotabato revealed that there is a pending bill in the Lower House that seeks to exempt fuel products from the Value Added Tax, or to lower the VAT rate for fuel. She noted that some countries, such as Malaysia, are no longer exporting petroleum products to avoid a shortfall in supplies there.
