Date: September 07, 2003 at 11:03:39
From: Rhanie, [p213.54.184.8.tisdip.tiscali.de]
URL: http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2003/sept/07/top_stories/20030907top1.html
Subject: Rohöltankstellen in Manila

Hallo! Das wird bestimmt noch lustig.... Aber so sollten bei uns auch die Pflanzenöltankstellen gefördert werden. Sunday, September 07, 2003 GMA mulls return of oil price subsidy By Efren L. Danao, Senior Reporter President Arroyo on Saturday directed the Department of Transportation and Communications and the Department of Energy to study the grant of government subsidy to gasoline prices so these would not affect the price of crude oil, the primary fuel for mass transportation. She issued the directive in her weekly radio message, citing both government and private initiatives to ease the burden caused by the recent rises in oil prices. There used to be the Oil Price Stabilization Fund, from which oil firms could draw to prevent price hikes. The government provided the fund’s seed money, taking it from oil taxes. The fund, however, was dissolved with the enactment of the oil industry deregulation law, oil prices determining by market prices instead of by the Energy Regulatory Board, which has been dissolved. Criticism of the plan came swiftly. Sen. John Osmeña, former chair of the Senate Committee on Energy, doubted the wisdom of subsidizing crude-oil products. “We are already imposing negligible taxes on crude oil, so why should we further subsidize it?” he asked. Although a state subsidy might still be legal despite the deregulation of the oil industry, Osmeña could not see where the government would be sourcing the fund. “The Oil Price Stabilization Fund has already been abolished. The only possibility is for the government to appropriate a certain sum. But where would the government take the money from? The revenue collection agencies could hardly achieve their targets, and the additional appropriation would increase the budget deficit,” he said. The President praised some sectors for their efforts to help others after the prices of petroleum products were hiked. “The recent increase in the price of petroleum products has shown once again how our countrymen involve themselves with the welfare of others,” she said. She noted that 26 gasoline stations in Metro Manila are now selling crude oil at a discount to passenger jeeps and buses to lessen their load after the oil price hike. “This [discount] constitutes a big saving to public utility vehicles,” she said. The President will visit on Monday one of these low-cost refilling stations to thank them and to see what the government could do to help improve their service to the public. “On Tuesday I will meet with Metro Manila mayors to see what we can do to address transport concerns. We will tackle the creation of an agency that would be responsible for towing service, and of a shared traffic ticketing system,” she added. Because of these developments, transport companies have put off plans to raise fares. “They have not raised their fares since I assumed the presidency,” she said. She allayed fears that the increase in the prices of petroleum products would result in higher costs of basic goods. “Our studies showed that the effect on prime commodities would be minimal,” she said. “We are regularly in contact with producers, urging them against raising their prices or, if it is unavoidable, to keep them fair and reasonable.” Gruß Rhanie.